Operation: Immunity
by Braequan623
Summary: You can run, but you can't hide. The Ghosts are real, and they are coming for you.
1. Reflection

**Hello, and welcome to my first story.**

**Before you start reading, please know these things.**

_**1) This is a Call of Duty: Ghosts and The Last of Us crossover. It takes place in the Last of Us' universe and will contain characters from both sides, but there will also be some characters from the Modern Warfare series and Black Ops.**_

_**2) This is an AU of The Last of Us where only the United States is destroyed by the Cordyceps. Although all ties with other countries were cut, ships still head across the oceans to escape the infection.**_

_**3) This is also an AU of Left Behind where only Ellie is bitten and Riley survives. Of course, Riley is still prone to infection. Both of their fates will be revealed by reading.**_

_**3) Operation: Immunity has two main POV's, both in first person. One is going to be of my main character Brad, who is an OC. The other will be Riley's, but her's doesn't start until Chapter Five.**_

_**4) Although I don't ship them in my writing(HA! LIES!), this story does contain some Ellie/Riley moments. If you despise this pairing at all, please leave immediately**__**, or more simply just skip that part of the chapter**__**.**_

_**5) Since this is an AU of the Last of us and Left Behind, this will contain spoilers. If you have not played the Last of Us or Left Behind, you have been fairly warned.**_

**Now that you know these things, you may now read Operation: Immunity.  
**

* * *

_**Prologue**_

It's been twenty years.

...

You start to forget-

...

the things you should remember.

...

And you can't stop remembering-

...

The things you should forget.

...

We used to have power.

...

Not anymore.

...

All we have, is each other.

...

We're Ghosts.

Fighting for something, that can't be killed.

...

What makes us different from everyone else, you ask?

...

Soldiers, stand against their enemies.

...

But Ghosts, haunt them.

...

That's how it is.

How it has been.

...

For two decades.

* * *

Let me make myself clear.

You don't know who I am. And I can't tell you who.

_At least, not yet._

Let me explain.

_No, I'm not the red-haired girl you all know._

_Nor am I the Firefly girl with the coffee brown eyes._

You know them. I'm sure you do.

Although they are not who I am, I have met them.

Talked with them.

_Fought _with them.

It seems like everybody has been fighting their entire lives.

Well, at least where I'm from.

Where is that, exactly?

Listen well, I'm about to tell you.

* * *

Twenty years ago, in 2013, a fungus called the Cordyceps Brain Infection spread across the United States of America. Within months, sixty percent of the country was either dead or infected, and those numbers were growing larger and larger with every passing day.

In desperation to stop the spread of the infection, governments across the world cut off shipping, trade, borders, everything with the U.S, leaving the country isolated and without aid.

In response, the Federal Disaster Response Agency, or FEDRA, took control of the armed forces and declared "martial law". Across the country, they built quarantine zones, trying to keep as many civilians as they could alive.

When that all happened, though, the Special Forces, such as the Navy SEALS, the Rangers, and Delta Force, all went rogue and set up their own military force and quarantine zones.

These soldiers would become what we all know as Task Force Stalker, or the Ghosts.

In the aftermath of the infection, war would break out between the two groups. The cause for this conflict is unknown, but it has been raging on ever since.

And in their wake, the Fireflies began to rise.

The Fireflies called for a return of the original three-branch government system. They led revolts, bombings, and executions across the country, trying to spread their cause.

Most of those executions were Ghosts.

When the Fireflies entered the mix, the fighting intensified across the country, and no side was anywhere close to winning. FEDRA had to abandon several quarantine zones, while the Ghosts and Fireflies continued to kill each other.

On the Feds' side, it was a good move. The Ghosts and Fireflies both had the same goal: finding a cure. The Fireflies made several attempts at creating a vaccine, but every attempt failed.

It went on like that for years and years. And things hadn't changed one fucking bit.

...

But that's where I come in.

Like I said earlier, I can't tell you who I am.

But, I can tell you this.

...

I am an active duty officer for Task Force Stalker.

...

Yes, I'm a Ghost.

But, where am I from?

Well, I was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. My parents and siblings were all soldiers, for FEDRA. My mom and dad were actually in charge of the forces there.

I don't know when, but one day, my parents received orders to leave Charlotte and all it's civilians. They would be heading Atlanta, where the Feds were in need of reinforcements.

They abandoned the quarantine zone, leaving all the civilians to fend for themselves.

And you can guess who else they left.

After that, I headed north from Charlotte, and made my way to Boston, Massachusetts.

Why Boston?

Well, that's for you to figure out.

...

As for who I am.

Now you can know.

...

...

_My name is Brad Johnston._

And this is my story.

* * *

**Operation: Immunity**

By Broncozfan623

* * *

_**"Reflection"**_

**July 17th, 2033-09:12:27**

**New York, New York, United States of America**

**Specialist Brad Johnston, Task Force: STALKER**

**Current Status: Unknown**

* * *

I woke up out of being knocked out. When I opened my eyes, there were nothing but bright lights that blinded me for a couple more seconds. My mind was racing with tons of questions.

Where was I? Where did the Fireflies go? Was I still in New York, where the Fireflies had taken me? Also, why was I strapped down into a chair with screens surrounding me?

But most importantly, why were there numbers flashing through my head?

_40, 75, 0, 0, 111, 88, 33. _What did they mean?

Before I could go through all my thoughts, I looked up to see four or five black silhouettes in a room, all looking down at me. One of them spoke up.

"Wake up, WAKE UP!" It had said.

I continued to look around the room,"Where am I-? Where are the Fireflies?"

The voice responded without answering my question, "You will answer our questions. Do you understand?"

I stared at them and yelled,"Who the hell are you?"

This time, they answered my question when they responded,"That's not important. What's important is who you are. What's your name?"

"Fuck you."

"Where were you born?"

"Kiss my ass!"

As soon as I said that, shocks off electricity were running all through my body. I screamed out in response. As soon as my so-called "rescuers" had woken me up, they just decided to fry me too death? How generous.

The voice came out again,"Your name is Brad Johnston. You were born in Charlotte, North Carolina. You are currently enlisted as a soldier for Task Force: STALKER in Boston. Is that correct?"

When I didn't respond, they shocked me again, only earning more screams in response. The voice came through again, only this time with anger,"Is that correct?!"

I gritted my teeth in pain. What these assholes want from me? It's not like I got anyone killed or captured.

Gritting my teeth even more, I finally I responded,"Yes."

They waited before asking me another question,"Where is the girl?"

I responded quickly,"I don't know what you're talking about."

"The girl, Brad. Ellie Williams was kidnapped from Boston two days after you went M.I.A. They told you her location when you were interrogated. You're the only person we have in finding her. Now, where are they holding her?"

"I don't know anything about her location."

At the time, it was true. My memory was still in a blur from what had happened. All I could remember was being on a mission took take out some Firefly assets. The rest of my squad was-

Another thought came into my mind.

Where were Martinez, and Baker, and Jackson? Did they make it out of the area? When I was knocked unconscious, they were on their way out of the area. I just hoped that they were still alive right now.

The voice finally came through,"What about Marlene? Do you remember her? Give us what we want and we'll guarantee your safety."

They shocked me one last time, but only for a second, so I didn't scream as loud.

"Let's start at the beginning. London, The United Kingdom. Special Forces training base. We know you were there."

I didn't say anything for a couple of seconds. London. Yes, I remembered that, but how did they know I was in London? As far as I was told, nobody in the country had relations outside of the United States. After the outbreak, all close allies had put embargoes on all trading relations with the US, fearing that infected could get to their homes.

But that didn't matter. Whatever these guys wanted, I would have to give it to them, if I wanted to survive.

So I relaxed, and began to recollect everything that had happened the last few weeks.

* * *

_**2 Months**** Earlier**_

It was just like any other night really. Peaceful, quiet, all you could here were the tree's blowing in the wind.

That night it was just me and Devon. My best friend and most trusted man. He could always keep a secret for you. When he heard I was from the States, he wouldn't stop pestering me with questions. One time he thought that I was Infected from a scar that I had on my shoulder. Then I had to explain about if you wanted to truly be Infected, you had to be bitten. So he understood after that.

He was an African American kid. Born and raised from down in Dover. He was 18, so like me he was born after the outbreak destroyed my home. He was tall and agile, you barely lucky if you could beat him in a footrace. But, he wasn't a great shot. More than once the trainers there had to stop him from spraying bullets down the range.

Despite all that though, he was a cool guy.

That night we had decided to get some more training in. The next morning would be our final test before we were being shipped off to our units. Meaning I would have to be sent back to Boston. I admit, I was going to miss him, but it was for the best.

We had ran, went to range(having almost been caught by some soldiers), and finished it off with racing back to our dorm. He beat me, of course. I never was a faster runner than he was.

"Don't you ever get tired from running to fast?" I asked him as we caught our breath outside.

He laughed and shook his head,"Naw. Just motivates me to run faster. I would be concerned if I were you. What if you're not fast enough and you get caught by Infected?"

"Shut up." Was all I said, and he laughed.

After a couple of minutes of sitting there, I stood up, waving him along behind me."C'mon. We need to get some sleep. Tomorrow is the big day."

"Yeah. You sure you really want to go back to the States?" he asked after he stood and we walked inside.

"I have to. You know that."

"Yeah, but why not just stay here? No Infected, no Fireflies, no more fighting. You could live a normal life here."

I shook my head, Devon never understood about what my parents did to me.

Basically, when I was sixteen, my parents were main leaders in the Charlotte QZ. Something happened outside of the city, and all the soldiers got pulled out. They abandoned the QZ, leaving all the civilians to fend for myself.

Including me.

Yeah, I said it. Those bastards just packed up and left me to fight for my life. That was when I left Charlotte for good and headed for Boston, to join the Ghosts.

Yet, Devon still never understood that even after six weeks of telling him the same thing over and over.

By the time we spoke again, we were inside our dorm, I was flopped down on my bed, while Devon climbed up into his.

"Devon. You know that I can't stay here."

"Yeah, but-" he paused, like he was trying to think of something to say. Eventually, he just sighed and didn't say anything.

I stared at the top of the bunk for a few minutes. My mind was racing. What if he was right?

I mean, what if I could stay there? I could get a chance to live a normal life in London. I could find a place to live in the city, get a job, hopefully live a happy life.

But, what about those people who are suffering back in the States? I couldn't just let them sit there and suffer while I was living the good life.

Eventually I got so lost in my thoughts that I dozed off, leaving the room filled with silence.

* * *

"Alright, everyone gather 'round," the instructor, John MacTavish, or "Soap", as that was they called him back in his war years, had called when everyone was in the room and accounted for. Devon and I had been one of the first few people to get there, so we had to wait for the others to arrive.

Everyone gathered around Soap,"Today, you all are hear to run the test to see if you will be an operative for Task Force 141. You will each run the Pit once. If you score less than thirty-five seconds, you will run it again. If you fail the second time, you will be put in the British Royal Marines, excluding Brad," I was relieved when I heard him say that,"One more thing. Captain Price will be watching you all run the Pit. I heard he's looking for a few young soldiers like you."

I turned and looked at Devon, and had to hold back a laugh. He looked like he had just been slapped in the face. I knew that Captain John Price was a legend here in the UK, so knowing that he might have a chance to fight alongside him must have caught him off guard.

I tapped him with my elbow,"You alright, man? You look like you've seen a _Ghost_." I put emphasis on the last word, knowing that I would be one within the hour.

He finally responded after a minute,"You heard what he said, right?"

I snorted,"Of course. If you don't fuck this up, you get to fight with Captain Price. I heard every word."

"And you don't find that awesome?"

"Why should I? It's not like it affects me any."

Devon shook his head, then turned to face me, looking like he was about to say something. But before he could, Soap yelled out my name, telling me to come over there.

I jogged over to him,"Yes sir?" I had said when I arrived. He turned to me, his face showing a whole bunch of scars.

"Listen to me son. This is huge for you. You complete this, you become a Ghost then go back to the States. You have to be prepared."

"I am, sir. I've been waiting for this day for months."

He smiled,"Good, because you're running the Pit first," he opened up a chest, showing off a bunch of weapons,"Choose any weapon you want then head to the starting line. When the first target pops up the clock starts ticking."

I nodded, going and grabbing one of the guns from the chest. I had no idea what it was, but I didn't care. I would use whatever felt comfortable for me.

I walked over to the starting line, then saw the first three targets pop up. I shot them almost immediately, only firing three shots, each one meeting it's target. I ran forward, three more targets popped up, one painted as a civilian. I shot the other two, leaving the one of the civilian be.

When I moved forward, eight more targets popped up, six soldiers and two civilians. I quickly shot the six soldiers, knowing I was still being timed. I heard Soap yell out,"Area cleared! Move into the building!" so I did. More targets popped up, so I shot the soldiers, just barely missing one of the civilians.

"Up the stairs!" I heard Soap yell. I quickly ran up the stairs, only for a target to pop up right in my face.

"Melee with your knife!" Soap yelled again. I quickly lowered my gun, grabbed my knife with my left hand, and stabbed the target right in the chest. It retracted back, allowing me to move on. After that, I shot the rest of the targets on the course, not hitting a single civilian. I sprinted to the exit, hearing most of the guys cheering as I crossed the line.

When I was back at the entrance, I expected for the first person to great me would either be Devon or Soap coming to congratulate me on how well I had done. But what I got was the least of my expectations, and when I arrived, Captain John Price was standing their with Soap.

I look at him with a look of confusion and he laughed. I looked at Soap questioningly, but he just smiled.

Finally, Price spoke up,"You did great out there, kid. It's sad to see what a great soldier like you has gone through," he sighed,"Come with me," he said after that, and walked away. I handed my gun to Soap and walked after Price, ignoring all the voices that called to me as I walked off.

Just as I was walking behind Price, I heard Soap yelling from the Pit, telling someone to stop firing from the hip and aim down his sight. I smiled, knowing that it must have been Devon running the Pit after me.

Price and I walked for another ten minutes or so. When we reached where we were apparently heading, a small bunker far from all the dorms and training grounds, he led me inside.

The bunker was small, not much stuff was in the room. Just a table with papers on it. I recognized one photo that stood out in the pile.

It was an old photo, the buildings crumbling behind a lone soldier stood in the photo, a rifle in his hands. I recognized the city from the way the skyline looked like.

It was Charlotte.

And the person in the photo was me.

How did they get this? I hadn't seen this photo in weeks. I thought I had lost it in Boston a while back. I didn't like to remember my family that much, considering what they had done to me. But hey, I needed something to remember them for.

I looked up at Price,"How did you get this?" I asked him, his back turned away from me.

Price turned to look at me,"Devon gave it to me. Told me about how you were abandoned by your family a while back. I asked him to find something so I could find out more about that," he pointed to a chair that sat by the wall,"Sit down. I want you to tell me about this."

I looked at him with a confused look,"Why do you care? I'm supposed to be shipped off back t-"

"Just sit down. All I want is for you to tell me what happened. After that, you can leave."

And with that, I complied. I sat across the table from him. He stared at me impatiently, waiting for me to begin.

I sighed,"Well, it all started back in Charlotte, about a year ago."

* * *

_**1 Year Earlier...**_

_Charlotte Quarantine Zone, North Carolina_

"Goddammit!" he yelled, slamming his fist on the table."What the fuck do we do now?!"

"Calm down Zak, we need to figure this out."

Zak turned to her, the anger in his eyes clear,"What else is there to figure out? It's pretty clear, they want us to leave the city by next week. We can't just leave these people here, Amy." He took a deep breath after that, trying to calm himself down.

Amy looked at him, then sighed,"Let's just wait until Mom and Dad get back, then we-" She couldn't finish her sentence before the front door burst open, and their parents walked in. Amy looked at them, muttering a "Hello" when they walked in.

Their mom looked at them,"You guys are back early," she looked around, unable to find her younger son,"Where's Brad?"

"He's sleeping upstairs," Zak said, his eyes still downward looking at the report they had gotten, telling them they had to leave Charlotte.

Their mom nodded, climbing the stairs to go check on him.

Their dad finally spoke,"Good thing he's sleeping. He can't here about this," Zak and Amy looked at him with a confused look.

"Why not?" They said in unison. Their dad, Charles, sighed and looked up at him.

"You're not going to like this. Neither of you."

Zak and Amy exchanged looks, the nervousness clearly obvious in both of them.

"Brad won't be coming with us out of the city."

Zak's jaw dropped, while Amy stared at him in shock, tears were starting to form in her eyes almost immediately.

"The generals in Atlanta say they won't have room for us and him. He can't come with us."

They all stood in silence for a few minutes, nobody wanting to speak.

It was Zak who broke the silence, "So that's it? We're just...leaving him here?"

"You know I can't..."

"No Charles! This isn't right. Brad is only sixteen, we can't just leave him."

"I don't have a goddamn choice!" Charles snapped, silencing Zak again. He sighed again, "Look, I don't want to do this either, but I don't have a choice. Brad is tough, he can make it out of the city. Maybe head to Atlanta after that."

Amy shook her head, "He won't go to Atlanta, you know he hates the South."

"Then where the fuck is he gonna go?" Zak snapped.

Amy wiped her eyes, and then shrugged.

Now, they hadn't known about Brad's dreams of being a Ghost. He had kept it to himself while they had trained him to be a soldier and to stay in the quarantine zones. But, Brad had planned once he turned seventeen that he would leave Charlotte and find the Ghosts, regardless if they were across the country.

Their mother returned, walking into the dining room where everyone else was. She looked at Charles and spoke,"I'm guessing you told them." When Charles nodded, she turned to Zak and Amy, "You have to understand why we're doing this. The forces in Atlanta requested reinforcements from here in Charlotte. They said they would need all of us to come, due to their small numbers, but they don't have enough space for all of the soldiers plus their families. They said Brad would have to stay behind, because he isn't a soldier."

Zak butted in, "But he's sixteen. He can be-"

"I know, but they won't have room for us whether he is or not."

Zak opened his mouth to speak again, but couldn't think of anything to say. He eventually just shook his head.

Dawn spoke again, "We're leaving in a few hours. If you want to say your goodbyes, now is the time."

Zak and Amy nodded, then they both turned to go see Brad. As he started walking towards the stairs, Charles stopped him. He reached for his magnum, placing it in Zak's hand. "Give this to him," he said, "He's going to need it."

Zak nodded, then turned and walked upstairs to Brad's room. When he arrived, Brad was still sound asleep, Amy crouched by his side. Zak could see her holding an old photo in her hands, a picture she had taken with Brad outside of the zone.

He looked at Amy, seeing that she was crying. He walked up to her, placing his hand on her shoulder,muttering that they he was sorry and that they had to get ready to leave. Amy nodded, placing the photo on the dresser. Zak placed the magnum on top of the photo and started for the door. Before he exited, he turned and took one last look at his brother. He knew that would be the last time he would ever see his brother again. He didn't know that he was crying when Amy placed her hand on his shoulder, guiding him out of the room.

That night, they left Charlotte, leaving the young sixteen year old to fend for himself. They thought that would be the last time they would ever see Brad again.

They were wrong. But it would be a long time.

And Brad would not take their reunion lightly.

* * *

**_Back in London_**

"So then what happened?" Price asked. He had been asking me constant questions about my parents for about an hour know. I didn't complain though, I had kept what my parents did a secret to everyone(except Devon, he was basically the only one I trusted), so it felt nice to get the weight off my shoulders.

"Well, after they left, I basically just grabbed what I could and left Charlotte," I said.

I looked down, "All the shit people did to each other."

"What happened?"

"People went crazy. One group thought they could just take charge and restore order, but you could guess how that went."

I remembered it, they said they would fix everything the military messed up. It lasted about ten minutes, as people immediately retaliated. It was like a warzone, and I had got caught in the crossfire. Only I made it out alive.

Barely, but I did.

Price considered this for a moment, "I'm guessing you headed to Boston after that." I nodded.

"Yeah, it was hell getting there. I lost so many people."

That made Price raise an eyebrow, "You weren't alone?" he asked.

I nodded again, "For a little while, just some people I met in Richmond. They heard I was heading to Boston, so they asked if they could come along."

"What happened to them?" Price asked.

Goddammit, I thought, Why did I bring that up?

I looked down, "They got infected, same thing that happened to a lot of people."

Price frowned, "I'm sorry, son." I just shook my head. Price spoke again, "Well, that's all I wanted to know. You should get back and pack your bags. You're heading back to Boston tomorrow."

I nodded, and headed for the door. I didn't bother talking to Devon when I saw him again. I wasn't in the mood.

As I was grabbing my stuff that I had brought to London, I noticed a piece of paper lying in the bottom of my bag. I grabbed it and pulled it out. It was a letter.

It was the letter my sister had left me, before they left.

I opened it up and read it to myself.

**Brad,**

**I'm writing this to say goodbye.**

**Unfortunately, Mom and Dad are having us leave Charlotte, something about reinforcing the forces in Atlanta.**

**They said we have to leave you here. Zak and I protested as much as we could, be we had no choice.**

**I'm so sorry, Brad. We did all we could.**

**Before I go, I want you to know that we love you.**

**We will never forget about you.**

**If you read this, bring it to wherever you go, just so you can remember us.**

**I have to go know.**

**I love you. **

**-Amy**

I felt tears sting my eyes, I had forgotten about this. My sister was the only one who had left me something to remember them(excluding my father). She was the only one who had cared about me enough to give me something.

That was enough to make me cry. She was the only one who actually cared about me enough. The only one who tried to protect me.

And that was what upset me the most.

I stopped crying, eventually, and grabbed the rest of my stuff and flopped down on my bed. I don't remember falling asleep, but I eventually dozed off.

Before I had fallen asleep, I assured myself that one thing. I would find my sister, bring her to the Ghosts, bring her to safety. She could live there and never have to fight anymore.

Because she defended me, and I had to return the favor.

* * *

_**Present Day**_

"Then the next day, I was on a boat back to the U.S."

The people up in the window had asked me a bunch of questions while I told them about my time in London, most of them regarding my talk with Price. They didn't shock me through the chair, thankfully.

The man that was talking the whole time spoke once again, "Did you talk to anyone before you left?"

I shook my head, "No. I never got to say goodbye."

It was true, I had woken up bright and early on the day I left. Devon was asleep when I grabbed my pack and headed to place where I would be taken back to the US. But I hadn't seen anyone before I left, not even Soap or Price.

"Well then," the man said, "Let's move on to after that. When you returned to Boston."

I inaudibly groaned. They wanted to know _everything_ since I got back from London. Damn.

This was going to take a while.

* * *

**Prologue is purely inspired by Call of Duty: Ghosts' reveal trailer.**

**All rights go out to Naughty Dog and Activision. I own nothing, other than my OC's.**

**Please continue readers.**

**Your journey is only beginning.**

**-Broncozfan623**


	2. First Contact

**Hey, here is Chapter 2.**

**In this chapter, we finally get to meet Martinez, Baker, and Watts, Brad's squadmates. If you may recall, Brad mentioned Martinez and Baker in chapter 1, so we will finally get to find out who they are.**

**That's all I have to say, so simply continue reading.**

* * *

"After London, you were shipped back to Boston, where you met back up with the leaders of the forces there," the man had said, like he was explaining everything to me.

I couldn't help and think about how he knew everything. First of all, who were these guys? And what did they want from me? I could only tell them so much of what I knew, I was always slow in remembering things.

I responded to them,"Yeah. Merrick. It was him who had decided to send me to London,"

"Did he tell you why?"

I shook my head,"No. Only that he didn't have the time at the moment to deal with me," I chuckled after that,"Hell, he tried to get rid of me when I first showed up."

It was true. When I had arrived at the Ghosts zone in Boston, Merrick had me captured and interrogated on the spot. I had told him I was from Charlotte and had made my way to Boston after my parents had abandoned me. Merrick didn't buy it at first, but with enough explaining, I got him to believe my story. After about of week of waiting for what he would do about me, he told me about me having to go to London and train with Task Force 141.

I wasn't complaining though.

The man on the mic spoke again,"Well. Tell us what happened when you arrived back in Boston."

And just like that, I was remembering again.

* * *

_**6 Weeks Earlier**_

The boat had hit the dock hard, causing the boat to shake wildly. It had woken me from my sleep, which kind of made me angry, but I got over it.

I knew had made it back to the US, finally. It had taken two weeks from London to go back to Boston. Nothing had happened on the ride back, except a storm on the third day at sea. But other than that, everything had been fine.

I clumsily got up from below deck and went to the stairs to get some fresh air. When I opened the door, I saw three soldiers standing on the deck, all were searching the deck to find anyone on board.

When the first two saw me, they immediately pulled there guns on my, yelling at me to "Put your hands up!" and to "Get on the ground!". I did as instructed, and one of them moved to place my hands behind my back, then raised his gun back up, placing the edge of the barrel on the back of my head.

The third soldier had walked over then, his gun pointed at me,"State your name and business," he had said.

I answered,"Brad Johnston, I came from London. I was sent there six weeks ago by Elias Walker and Thomas Merrick of Task Force Stalker."

The soldier considered what I had said for a moment, then lowered his gun."Lower your weapons, it's him," he had said to the other two. The others complied, allowing me to stand up.

The one who appeared to be in charge, spoke to me again,"Sorry about that, didn't recognize you," he said, reaching a hand out,"I'm Corporal James Martinez, Merrick sent us to come get you once you arrived."

I shook his hand,"Nice to meet you," then I eyed the other two, who had moved to stand next to Martinez,"What about you two?" I had said, when I released Martinez's hand.

The one on his left spoke first,"I'm Specialist Matthew Baker," then the other one did,"Private First Class Jason Watts,".

Martinez spoke after that,"We've been coming here to the harbor for days. We didn't think you were ever gonna show up," he stopped for a moment,"We should get back to the zone, grab your stuff then we can leave." He said after a couple of seconds.

I nodded, going back under deck to grab my pack. When I returned, Martinez, Baker, and Watts were all off the boat, waiting for me.

"Alright. Let's go. Merrick's waiting." Martinez said, then he turned, and jogged off, all of us on his heels.

After walking for about ten minutes, I spoke,"So, how long have you guys been with the Ghosts?" I asked.

Martinez was the first to answer,"Almost a year. I had just turned eighteen when I joined up."

"Were you in the zone before then? The Feds', I mean."

"Yeah, I had lived there my whole life."

"Why did you leave?"

He hesitated before answering,"My parents, they-" he sighed,"They got infected. Something about trying to sneak out of the zone."

"Oh." Was the only thing I could come up with after he finished,"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

He shook his head,"It's okay. I don't mind talking about it." But I doubted that.

"What about you two?" I asked Baker and Watts.

"Watts and I joined at the same time, two months ago," Baker said.

"I came from Philadelphia," Watts said,"Baker is from New York. We met when I saved his ass from a bunch of runners there."

"How many times do I have to tell you? I had that handled."

Watts chuckled,"Yeah, bullshit."

"Fuck you, man." Baker said.

I laughed, those two acted like brothers to each other; they reminded me of my brother and I, back in Charlotte.

We were walking in an alley when Martinez told us to hide. Me and Martinez hid behind a dumpster on one end, Baker and Watts behind another one on the other side.

"Enemy patrol ahead," he said, as a Humvee passed by."Do not engage. Let 'em pass."

After we were sure the trucks were gone, we walked out of the alley.

As we walked down the street, another Humvee drove through the street. It was far away, so it didn't notice us.

"What do we do?" I asked Martinez, pulling my magnum out of the holster. He didn't respond immediately, considering what I had said.

Eventually, he walked over to a window of a small shop, smashing it. "In here, move." He said, climbing over. I followed him, then Baker and Watts hopped in, just as the Humvee barreled towards us. It passed without seeing us, thankfully.

"That was close," Baker had said. Then he turned to check the building we had entered,"Where the hell are we?"

"Looks like what used to be a coffee shop," Watts said,"What do we do know?" He asked, turning to Martinez.

"I don't know," he said,"Let's see if we can cut around through here," as he walked towards a set of stairs.

"Reckon there will be any infected?" I asked, but he was already up the stairs by the time I had said it.

Before we had been able to follow, Martinez was running back down,"To answer your question, Brad," he said,"Upstairs is crawling with 'em."

"What stages?" Baker asked.

Martinez looked back upstairs,"Runners. Maybe a clicker or two. No bother even trying to sneak past them."

"Can't we just shoot them?" Watts asked, but Martinez shook his head,"Our weapons are unsupressed. We'll draw too much attention."

I frowned, watching Martinez walk down the stairs, his head staring at the ground.

"Any ideas?" Baker asked, but Martinez said nothing.

Then an idea came into my mind."I got one," I said.

Martinez looked up at me,"What?" was all he said.

"We can distract. Maybe cause enough noise outside to draw them out."

"But how?" Watts said,"They won't come down without seeing us."

I frowned. Damn it, I thought, I didn't think of that. Then I looked at the counter, and walked over to it. It was big enough that four people could lay there, which was perfect.

"Not unless we hide here." I said, showing them the area I had found.

Martinez looked over it, then at me,"You sure this will work?" He asked.

"I hope so. We don't really have any other options," I said, shrugging.

He thought about it for a minute, then nodded,"Okay. But what can we bring them out with?"

I looked around the room for anything, finding a couple of bottles lying on the floor. I picked them up, showing them to him.

"We can throw these out the window," I said.

Baker then stepped in, taking a bottle from me. I handed one to Watts and Martinez, keeping the last one for myself.

"On my call, we throw them out. When they're outside we can run upstairs then loop around." I said. We all stood behind the counter, ready for my call."Now!" I yelled, chucking the bottle out of the window, the others following shortly afterward.

As expected, there were screams from upstairs, and then soon enough, there was a fury of footsteps running outside. I clenched the handle on my magnum tightly.

When our window was open, we ran out from behind the counter, sprinting up the stairs. No infected had followed us, thankfully.

Martinez checked the area, making sure all the infected had gone out of the shop. When he was done, he said,"We're clear," then he nodded at me,"Good thinking, Brad."

We eventually found a way around, then we were heading out towards a fenced in area, guards staring down at us from posts up on the wall.

"We're almost there. Baker, call us in." Martinez said. Baker nodded, then turned on his radio.

"Command this is Stalker 5-2. Package is secure and we're heading to the east entrance of the zone."

A voice came through on the other end of the radio, but I couldn't make out what the man was saying. I didn't have time to try to figure out what he was saying before the gate was opening and we were walking inside, receiving shouts of "Welcome back" from the guards.

Finally, I was back.

Martinez turned around, then smiled,"Welcome back to the Ghosts," he said,"Come on. Let's go see Merrick." Then he turned to Baker and Watts,"You guys go to the armory. Return your gear."

"Got it," Baker said, then he and Watts turned and jogged off.

I looked around, seeing what has changed since I was last there. The zone wasn't much different, except there were a lot more soldiers. I turned to Martinez,"Why are there so many soldiers here?"

Martinez responded quickly,"Merrick wanted each wall to be on high alert every day. We had a lot of attacks while you were gone,"

"Fireflies?"

"Yeah. Hunters too. Infected also managed to get through the walls."

I raised an eyebrow,"How?"

"Nobody knows. All I know is that we lost a lot of men because of them," he stopped for a second, then continued,"Some guys tried to take on a pack of clickers head on. Big mistake."

"Did you know any of them?"

"Nope."

I wanted to respond again, but we had arrived at the main command center. Martinez entered the main entrance, which was a giant garage door, then walked inside, me right on his heels.

"C'mon," he said,"Let's go see the old man," referring to Merrick.

The place had used to be an apartment, as the building had a living room and kitchen on the first floor. The second floor was where the command center was, that was where we found Merrick, talking with some other men.

"Merrick!" Martinez yelled when we walked inside. Merrick looked at us, and when he saw me he smiled.

"About time you showed up," he said to me as he walked towards us.

I smiled,"I couldn't agree more,"

Merrick just smiled even more, then he turned to Martinez,"Go return your gear. I need to talk to Brad."

"Yes sir," Martinez responded, then he turned to me,"See you around," he said, then he jogged off.

When he was gone, Merrick looked at me,"Walk with me. I need to show you something," then he walked off, me right behind him.

We walked up another set of stairs, then Merrick walked into another room. A man stood in the room alone, he was seated at a table.

He looked at Merrick when we entered,"Is this him?" he asked. When Merrick nodded, he turned to me,"Merrick told me a lot about you," he said as he stood up,"You're pretty special, having to go train outside of the country."

I shrugged,"I don't feel any special."

"Well, you should," He responded,"Ever since the infection, nobody has been allowed to leave the country."

He then grabbed the mask from the table, then reached out to hand it to me,"Here. This belongs to you now." Then he placed his hand on my shoulder,"Welcome to the Ghosts," he said, smiling at me.

"I won't let you down," I said, staring at him.

He chuckled, patting me on the shoulder lightly,"Trust me. I don't think you will."

* * *

_**"First Contact"**_

**June 19, 2033, 10:12:42**

**Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America**

**Private Brad Johnston, Task Force: STALKER**

**Status: Alive**

* * *

**Loadout****:**

**Primary(All)**: IA2 Marksman Rifle

**Sidearm(Brad)**: .44 Magnum Handgun

**Sidearm(Rest): **P226 Handgun

* * *

The armory was quiet, except for the sound of me and the other guys getting our gear ready. Merrick had assigned me two days earlier on Martinez's team with him, Baker, and Watts. I was relieved that at least I would have some familiar faces to fight with.

Merrick had assigned us to scout out an area outside of the zone. He said that there had been a lot of Firefly movement out in that area, and that he wanted us to go check it out.

"These guys think they can just walk into our territory in their own free will," Martinez said,"Let's show 'em otherwise." He grabbed his rifle from the table,"Waiting on you rookie."

I smiled, Martinez had gotten used to calling me "rookie" ever since I was assigned to his team. It kind of pissed me off at first, but I got used to it.

"Almost done," I said,"I just need to load the rest of this mag," I lifted my magazine then started loading it with bullets.

"Make it quick, we roll out in five." Martinez said, walking towards the door out to the zone. Baker grabbed a sniper rifle from the table, slinging it over his shoulder. Then he grabbed another rifle next to it, keeping it in his hands as he jogged towards the door after Martinez, leaving Watts and I in the room alone.

"So," Watts said,"You nervous?"

I shook my head,"Not really. Just a scouting job. Nothing too hard, right?"

"No. But, what if there are really Fireflies in the area? Or hunters? Or fucking infected? What do we do then"

"We do what we have to. We take them out."

Watts didn't look convinced. In-fact, he looked terrified. Like this mission would be his last. Whatever it was it made me raise an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?" Was all I could manage to say.

Watts just looked down at the table,"I never told you why I left Philadelphia, did I?"

"No. Why?" I didn't like where this was going.

Watts sighed, then looked up at me, preparing to speak. But Martinez burst into the room, silencing him.

"Come on, you two. We're moving out now." I could tell in his voice that he was getting pissed off.

"We'll be right out," I said, loading a mag into my rifle. When it was in and loaded, I looked at Watts."We'll talk later," I said, before walking out, Watts right behind me.

When we were outside, Martinez and Baker were standing next to the door. Martinez muttered about us taking too long, only to get over it when we were outside the walls of the zone, running through the streets to get to our sector.

Martinez spoke as we ran,"Mission is simple,"he began,"Check the area for any Firefly activity. We're not cleared to engage unless fired upon, so keep that in your heads. Keep your weapons tight, we don't want get into too much trouble."

"How do we know there still here?" I asked.

"That's what we're going to find out," he replied.

I stopped running for a second, allowing me to gather my thoughts.

What was the point of going across the city? What were the Fireflies going to do, drop bombs on us? No, they couldn't. Not even the Ghosts had the resources to do that.

I hadn't realized it yet, but I was finally starting to question if any of this was worth it. The war? The cure? Anything? What was the point?

I eventually snapped out of my trance, shaking my head. Then running after the rest of my team.

I guess I'll find out.

* * *

**_2 Hours Later_**

"Alright," Martinez said, his forehead drenched in sweat, "I think we're clear,".

I looked up from the floor, an infected lying there, dead to the world.

We were inside a lobby of an old hotel. Baker and Watts had broken off from us and had set up a position on a nearby rooftop, viewing the entire sector we were in. Baker had taken a sniper rifle with him when we left the zone, which is what he was using to scan the area. Watts was acting as his spotter, scanning the area with a pair of binoculars.

I just sighed,"Hopefully." Was all I could say.

Martinez just nodded, then turned his radio on,"Baker. Brad and I just encountered some infected in the lobby. You guys see anything?"

I heard Baker come through,"Negative. No movement on the streets."

Martinez smiled,"Copy that,"he then looked at me,"Head up the stairs and check the second floor. I'll check out the rest of this floor."

I nodded,"Got it," I said, heading for the stairs. I found them a couple of minutes later. I entered with my gun ready, there could have been more infected close by. If there were, they weren't disturbed by any of the fighting that had gone on in the lobby.

It wasn't until I had reached the door to enter the second floor that I heard the voices. There were multiple, and they appeared to be close together.

"Keep your eyes peeled," one of the voices had said,"The Ghosts like to operate in this area, so keep a look out."

_Fuck. _

Fireflies.

I pulled my rifle tightly to my chest.

"Hope there's a whole bunch of 'em," another voice said,"We need 'em to be spread out for when the next attack starts."

_Double fuck. They're going to attack again._

I didn't have time to waste. Without thinking, I contacted Martinez,"Martinez. It's Brad. We got a problem,"

Martinez wasted no time in responding,"What is it?" he had said.

"I reached the second floor, but there are Fireflies here. They said something about another attack on the zone."

"Shit. Where are you?"

"Stairway. Second floor."

"Got it. I'm on my way."

He signed off, then I leaned back against the wall, trying to relax. The Fireflies in the hall continued to talk, but I ignored them. Martinez arrived a couple of minutes later, moving to stand on the opposite side of the door, across from me.

"I contacted Baker and Watts," he started,"I told them to be on high alert. We can't risk any other ones ambushing us."

I nodded,"Did you tell command?"

He shook his head,"Didn't have time. I got here as soon as I was done talking with Baker and Watts."

I nodded again,"Alright. What do you want to do about these guys?" I said, talking about the Fireflies in the hall behind us.

"Um," he said, looking at the floor, thinking. Once he was done, he looked back up at me,"Let's just sneak up on 'em. We come up from behind and take 'em out."

"Alright," I said,"Let's do it." Then I turned to enter the hallway, Martinez right behind me.

The two men were facing the opposite wall away from us, not noticing our presence. They continued to talk, even as we walked towards them.

"I don't know, Woods. We're short on numbers here. If we keep attacking, we'll eventually be wiped out."

The man addressed to as Woods responded,"Well, it's not my call. You want something done about it, talk to Marlene. She's the one calling the damn attacks."

"You know she won't want to. She's got her hands full enough already."

"I'm just saying, Mason."

Before either of them could speak again, Martinez and I grabbed them and pulled them to the ground, plunging our knives into their throats. When we placed their bodies on the floor, we searched them for their tags. We always confirmed our kills by collecting dog tags of the dead, Firefly or Military. If they didn't have any, then the kill couldn't be confirmed.

I pulled the tag off the neck of the man I had killed, then read it to myself.

_**Alex Mason**_

_**000115**_

"Frank Woods," Martinez said, checking the other man's tag,"Firefly 000114. Must have been sent directly from the Firefly HQ, if they were talking about Marlene." He then placed the tag in his pocket, standing back up,"Come on. Let's go see if there were any others." He stood up, walking down the hallway, me following behind him.

The rest of the hallway was empty, no signs of any other Fireflies being there. I sighed in relief, walking out of the room I was searching, meeting Martinez in the hallway.

"Nothing here," I said,"Looks like those two were the only ones here."

Martinez nodded, then started to speak, only to be interrupted by the door to our right be completely blown open, knocking us on the ground. Soon afterward, bullets were flying, zipping over our heads.

Before I could even roll over to get up, Martinez was grabbing my arms, pulling me off the ground.

"We have to get the fuck out of here! Come on!" And just like that he was running, me right on his heels.

More bullets hit the walls next to us as we ran. I had turned around a once to turn and shoot, only to be dragged on by Martinez.

We eventually reached the lobby, running to cover immediately. I fired at the Fireflies as Martinez tried to contact Baker.

"Baker, it's Martinez," he started to yell into his radio,"We are taking heavy fire inside the lobby. I repeat, we are taking heavy fire in the lobby. We need sniper support. Now!"

Baker responded immediately, gunfire coming from his side of the line,"Negative, Martinez. Watts and I are taking heavy fire as well. They got us pinned on the roof."

_Fucking fantastic, _I thought to myself,_ We're split up and pinned in two locations._

_How convenient._

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my arm, then I realized I had been hit. I got back behind cover, clutching my arm, screaming in pain all the while.

"FUCK!" I had yelled, paining shooting through my body.

Now, I had been shot before. But, that was like, two months ago, back when I had first entered Boston(I got attacked by hunters).

And let me tell you, feeling how it was to get shot again sucked.

Martinez heard me yelling, then he turned to me.

"Shit. You okay?" He said to me.

I nodded, but I was in a ton of pain."Yeah, they just nicked me," I winced again,"But it hurts like hell," I removed my hand from where the bullet had grazed my arm, finding it soaked in blood.

"Can you still fight?"

"Yeah."

"Then start shooting!" he yelled, handing me my rifle. I turned around, looking out from my cover, shooting whenever I saw a Firefly pop out.

We eventually took out all of the Fireflies, then Martinez and I ran out of the lobby, me clutching my arm.

"Baker. You guys there?" he called into his radio. When only static came through, he yelled,"Baker! Are you guys alive?! Respond!"

And when more static came through again. Oh, he was pissed.

"Fuck!" he said, slamming a trash can into the ground. Then he turned, waving me along,"Come on. We don't have much time."

And then we were running again, heading to the building where Baker and Watts were posted.

About a minute after we took off, a voice came through on the radio,"Stalker 5, this is Scarecrow," It was Elias,"We've lost contact with 5-2 and 5-3. What's your status?"

Martinez responded,"Copy Scarecrow, this is Stalker 5-1. We are moving to Bakers' and Watts' last known location, but Brad is wounded."

"Roger. What was their last location?"

"On a roof of an old building. End of the street."

"Copy that, Martinez. Be advised, we're picking up a lot of movement in that area. You boys better hurry."

"Roger. Martinez out." He said, and then he continued running.

We ran along the street, passing old stores and shops along the way. Martinez stopped running when we reached the end of the street, leaning against the wall to catch his breath. We sat there for a couple of minutes, the only sound being from our heavy breathing.

Martinez eventually spoke,"You still in one piece?"

I shrugged,"I'll manage."

He nodded, opening his eyes,"We need to hurry. Baker and Watts need our help."

"How do you know that they're still alive?"

He shrugged,"Trust me. Fireflies don't kill Ghosts right on sight."

"Why?"

"They get what intel they can out of 'em first. That hardly ever happens, but they got their hands on some of our guys from time to time."

I stared at him questioningly,"Okay. Say if they get one of our guys, but he refuses to talk. What then?"

It was then he looked down, speechless. He eventually just muttered "I don't know" before standing up, walking towards the entrance to the building behind us.

"Let's just get a move on," he said, opening the door slowly, his gun at ready. I followed him shortly after, mimicking his movements.

"Be careful. We don't know how many we're up against." He had said, checking his surroundings.

We walked through the first floor of the building, which used to be an old store of some sort. The shelves were all completely empty, the place having been looted when the outbreak started.

We had walked towards the back of the store, where there was to be a fire escape that went to the roof outside. Just as we were about to reach the back door when a clicker came inside from outside. I aimed to shoot it, but Martinez lowered my gun, pushing me back a few steps.

"Easy," he had said, quietly,"We don't want to draw any attention to ourselves."

"What do we do then?" I whispered.

"Try and sneak up on it. See if you can take him out silently." He then grabbed an empty bottle off of a shelf,"I'll distract it. Just try to get behind it."

I nodded, then I walked off, weaving around the shelves, trying to stay as quiet as possible. The clicker kept staggering around the store, and I had to change which way I was moving more than once, the clicker having heard my movements and walking over.

I finally managed to get behind it, but as I did, I tripped over an old box, knocking over a shelve as I fell.

I had landed with a thud, pain vibrated through my whole body, especially in the arm I had been shot in.

"Oh fuck," I heard Martinez say as I had fallen. The next thing I knew, two loud gunshots filled the room, then I heard a body hit the floor. I looked up to see Martinez hovering over me, grabbing my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking me over.

"A little sore," I winced as I sat up, "But I'll manage."

"Good. We have to keep moving, I have no doubts that they heard those gunshots."

And so we left the store, exiting from the back door and we headed up the fire escape. When we towards the top, Martinez led me through a window that had once been an apartment. He scanned the surroundings, then waved me inside.

"They have to be holding Baker and Watts here somewhere." He said as we walked through the hallway, shining our flashlights over the walls and into the rooms. The place was empty, until we heard the front door open.

"Are you sure they're in here?" One man said, as him and two others entered the apartment.

"I swear, man," The second one said, "Where else could they have gone if they took the fire escape?"

"Obviously, they could have gone home."

"Cut the chatter," the third man finally said, "Just find these two." He clearly was in charge, from the way he spoke to them.

Martinez signaled for me to be quiet from across the hallway, him standing in a bathroom and me in a bedroom. I nodded, keeping my guns down, and staying quiet.

We heard the footsteps get closer, and I saw him pull out a flashbang. When they were within five feet of our positions, he pulled the pin and tossed it into the hallway.

I heard the three men scream, the flash from the 'bang erupted, causing my ears to vibrate. I heard Martinez yell, "Brad, NOW!" Then he leaned out of the doorway, and I did the same.

Within the next minute or so, the three men were dead and we were heading out of the apartment. We headed up another flight of stairs, when another group of Fireflies started to shoot at us.

"How many of these fuckers are there?!" I yelled, leaning out from the post I was behind and firing three rounds.

"Just take 'em out!" Martinez screamed back, grabbing another flashbang.

As soon as the flash went off, all the 'flies(about four or five of 'em) were on the ground, covering their eyes. Martinez and I took advantage of this and ran out, knocking out the men on the ground.

"They're just up here. Come on!" Martinez said, running up another set of stairs, I was right behind him.

When we were at the top, there was only one door on the entire floor. Me and Martinez stood on each side, leaning towards the doorway.

"This is it. Baker and Watts have to be inside." Martinez said, reloading his rifle. When he finished, he looked up at me, "Did you bring that door charge, like I asked?"

"You mean this?" I asked, bringing out a door charge, which is just a small square with explosives on it.

"That's it. Now put it on the door."

I nodded, then stuck the charge right on the center of the door. I stepped back to next to the door, and the charge exploded.

We rushed in, finding Baker and Watts on their knees, with men to their sides. Another standing in front of them, as pistol in his hand.

Martinez shot the man with the pistol, while I quickly shot the two men next to Baker and Watts. The whole dilemma lasted less than half a minute, and as soon as the Fireflies were dead, we pulled Baker and Watts to their feet.

"You two okay?" Martinez asked, checking over Baker as I did the same for Watts.

Baker smiled, "Never better," then he picked up his rifle from a table to his right.

"How about you?" I asked Watts, who had blood flowing down the left side of his face.

He shrugged, "I could be worse," then he picked up his own rifle that was on the ground. "Told you things could go bad," he muttered, as he walked past me and towards the door.

"Well, is anything good in a time like this?" I responded.

"Guess not," He said.

We were all silent after that, the only sounds coming from distant gunshots.

...

...

...

Wait a minute.

Those Fireflies did mention an attack.

...

...

...

Oh fuck.

We had to get back, and fast.

I started to run, leaving the other guys behind me.

"Brad!" Martinez yelled, "Where the hell are you going?!"

"Back to the zone!"

"Why?!"

"'Cause they're under attack!" And as soon as I said that, an explosion sounded, and smoke started to fly through the sky.

"Oh my god," I heard Watts mutter from behind me, then Martinez started cursing. I won't go into full detail, because I had zoned out.

My first mission, and we were under attack.

And I hadn't been there to stop it.

It didn't matter though, because before I could gather my thoughts, Baker was pulling me behind him, as we ran towards the exit.

I thought all the shit we had gone threw just a couple minutes earlier was bad. That this is what war looked like.

But, as soon as that explosion occurred, I had been proven wrong.

...

That was all fake.

...

The real war was just beginning.

* * *

**An hour later**

It turned out that the Fireflies had far more, and more advanced, equipment than I thought.

When we had reached the western wall, there were two Humvees in the street, one was trying to bust down the doors on the wall, but getting nowhere. The second one was just scanning the street checking for infected or possibly other Ghosts.

"Damn it," Martinez said, looking stepping back from the window he was looking out of. We were in another apartment, outside of the zone's walls. The Fireflies hadn't seen us, but the infected almost got to Baker.

"Where the hell did they get those?" Watts said, referring to the Humvees.

"Doesn't matter," I said, "They won't have 'em in a few minutes."

Baker looked at me, "How? We're outgunned and we have no explosives."

I shrugged, "Um," I said, thinking of a plan. Running out into the street wasn't possible, we would be dead in minutes, and we couldn't blow the trucks up.

"We could try to distract them," I said, "Like we did with the infected. Two of us can draw away their fire, and the other two can take out the guys in the trucks."

Nobody spoke, and I started to get nervous that they thought I was an idiot.

"Okay," Martinez said.

I looked at him, "What?"

"I said okay, let's do it. I don't see any other option here."

I turned to Baker and Watts, but they just shrugged. I sighed, then looked back at Martinez.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked, my hands and rifle hanging down at my sides.

He nodded, "Like I said, I don't see any other option."

I nodded,"Okay then. Baker, Watts, you two have to distract the guys in the trucks. Try to draw their fire into this building somehow, Baker will be up here, and Watts will be on the first floor."

Baker nodded, then walked over to the window. Watts was hesitant, but eventually he agreed to do it.

"Martinez," I said, turning towards him,"You and I are going to have to get across the street,"

His eyes widened when I said that,"How?"

I shrugged, "I have no idea," I started walking towards the door, "But we'll figure out a way."

"Okay then," He said as he followed me out, yelling back towards Baker,"Tell Watts to wait until I say to fire."

"Got it," He said.

We jogged out of the apartment, heading out into the hallway outside the front door.

"So," Martinez said, "How do we get across the street?"

"Um," I said, thinking for a second. Then I thought, "Maybe we could take the roof. Down the street, I mean, and then we can get across."

"Alright."

We headed up onto the roof, which as you could expect, was empty. We had to scale across a couple of gaps, but nothing major happened.

...

Until another explosion sounded.

...

It had come from the end of the street we had just come from, vibrating its way down the street. Martinez and I turned around immediately, finding that one of the two trucks had exploded.

"Holy shit," I said, "Did Watts and Baker do that?"

"I have no idea," Martinez said, "Let's just keep going,"

I nodded, then turned and continued running.

We eventually got across the street without the other Fireflies noticing, and soon, we were on a roof about two stories above them. The buildings outside of the walls were small, all the larger ones being built within.

"What the hell do we do now?" Martinez asked, looking down at the other Humvee, the gun firing into the building where Baker and Watts were at.

"I don't know," I said. Running into the street still was not an option, and shooting at them would only make things worse.

Then it came to me.

I started to back up, Martinez staring at me.

"What are you-" he started to say, but then he realized what I was doing, "Oh, hell no, Brad." He walked in front of me.

"There's no other choice."

"I'm not letting you do this."

"You're not stopping me."

And before he could say another word, I ran past him, heading straight for the edge.

I heard Martinez yell my name, but I ignored him, and kept running.

And when I reached the edge, I jumped.

At first, I thought I was going to land way over the truck, but I ended up on back, with the truck vibrating from my impact.

I heard the guy on the turret start to say something, but I had shot him before he could finish.

I quickly pulled his body out, jumping down inside of the truck. The two in the front seat were shocked that I was there, but there faces were replaced by bullet holes.

Sorry for the brutality, but it was true.

As soon as that was done, I climbed out of the truck, brushing the sweat off of my face. Baker and Watts were yelling as they ran outside, but Martinez hadn't come out yet.

"Holy shit, man!" Baker yelled, punching me on the shoulder, "That was badass!"

"How the hell did you do that?!" Watts said.

I smiled, "Just doing what I had to."

Then Martinez walked around the corner, and my smile faded.

He looked pissed, pissed because that I had disobeyed his orders. Pissed off because I could have gotten myself killed.

"That," he started, "was fucking stupid."

I frowned, "Yeah, I know."

"But fucking awesome," he smiled.

I looked up, surprised, "What?"

He walked up to me, "Dude, I haven't seen anything like that in my entire life. You think I was going to be pissed after what you just did?"

"I clearly disobeyed your orders," I said, "You told me not to do that and I ignored you."

He shook his head, "Who cares. I'll let it slide."

I smiled after that, "Thanks. I guess."

Then the walls opened up, and about ten to fifteen soldiers were walking out, along with Merrick.

"Alright. Secure the area, let's move!' One soldier said, and all the other soldiers moved towards the buildings around the street, while one of them walked towards the remaining Humvee.

"I heard lots of gunfire from over here," Merrick said when he reached us, "You boys okay?"

"Yeah," I said, "We're good."

"You guys were outgunned by two Humvee. How the hell did you take these guys out?"

"Ask Brad," Baker said, "It was all his idea."

Merrick raised an eyebrow, "Is that so?"

Watts spoke next, "Yeah man, you should have seen it. He was a total badass."

Merrick looked down at me, and I shrugged.

"It's a long story."

* * *

**Well, you have finally made it two the end of Chapter 2.**

**Yes I know, Mason and Woods were Fireflies, and yes, Mason and Woods are dead, and I'm sorry. Those two are two of my most favorite characters in COD, but I didn't think they would have a great impact on the story, since COD: Ghosts is and Infinity Ward game, and Mason and Woods were created by Treyarch.**

**Anyways, that was Chapter 2. Oh, and if anyone can tell me the dog tag reference, they get a bag of cookies. (Hint: It's a COD Gamemode). Have a great day, and continue reading.**

**-Broncozfan623**


	3. Blood Brothers

**Hello Internet. Welcome to Chapter Three. **

**I am warning you right now, things are going to start getting sad in this chapter. I won't say what happens, but please be aware of that when I say it.**

**Also, this chapter is also where things start taking a turn for the worst. Once again, I won't say why or how, but you will most likely figure it out.**

**That's basically all I have to say, so please continue reading.  
**

* * *

_**"Blood Brothers"**_

**June 25, 2033, 14:22:52**

**Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America**

**Private Brad Johnston, Task Force: STALKER**

**Status: Alive**

* * *

The next week or so after the last attack was normal. Sure, we had a few infected around the walls every now and then. Hell, sometimes they would show up just as patrols were being sent out.

That's right, you heard me.

Elias and Merrick are having teams patrolling outside of the walls twenty-four seven. Something about "Maximum security" or some shit.

And let me tell you. Patrolling duty sucks. My squad and I got called out for it three days straight. _Three fucking days_. Do you know how much it sucks to go searching through a bunch of old buildings, finding nothing, then going back out the next day to do the same thing in the same places?

Because, let me tell you, it sucked.

Plus the weather didn't help out either. It rained for about a day and a half non-stop, and then it was humid as hell after it stopped. Martinez even got sick from dehydration, and has been in the infirmary ever since.

Which explains why Watts and I were doing our next mission alone.

Yeah, Baker opted out of the mission as soon as we were informed, saying that he would stay back in case anything happened.

The mission was a bit more challenging, considering the fact we needed two men to do it. We were supposed to head to the Feds' quarantine zone, one of us was supposed to sneak into the military school and steal some intel from the corporal's office, while one of us provided sniper overwatch.

Watts and I had agreed that I was going to head into the corporal's office, and Watts would provide overwatch. It wouldn't be easy, we both knew that, but we also knew we could do it.

Besides, we were Ghosts. It's what we do.

* * *

**Loadout (Brad):**

Primary:_ K7 Submachine Gun_

Sidearm: _.44 Magnum Revolver_

**Loadout (Watts):**

Primary: _L115 Sniper Rifle_

Secondary: _K7 Submachine Gun_

Sidearm: _P226 Handgun_

* * *

I hid behind the wall, just as two more trucks drove by me. I leaned out to see them disappear, making sure they hadn't seen me. As soon they were gone, I ran out into the street, contacting Watts.

"Alright, I'm on the move again," I said, "You see me?"

"Yeah, I got you." He said. Of course, I had no idea where he was, we had split up about half an hour ago.

"You better be careful in there," he said, "This humidity is really messing with the thermals."

I chuckled, "Thanks for the heads up. I told you not to take bad equipment from the armory."

"Shut up. You know it's not my fault."

"Yeah, I know."

I kept jogging towards the outer perimeter of the school. Getting in was easy, apparently soldiers will let anyone get out if they see them.

Hey, good thing for us.

But, as soon as I was about to walk out from the alley I was in, a door opened, and about twenty cadets walked out of the building. The lights above came on, signaling it was the end of the school day.

"Fuck me," I said to myself, "Watts, you didn't say classes ended at this time."

"Hey, what do I look like? A fucking psychic? I don't know everything."

"Well, if the mission wasn't hard enough, we wouldn't be talking right now." I said, then pulled my mask out of my pocket. I pulled it over my face, because if I was going to be seen, they might as well not know who that person's killer was.

I began to walk out towards the end of the alley, when I heard a voice from behind me.

"Hey. Who the hell are-?" He was about to say, until I grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the wall. He was silenced instantly, his expression turning from curiosity to terror.

I put one of my fingers up to my lips, signaling for him to be quiet. I pulled my magnum out, "Do you want to end up with a bullet in your head?" I said, putting the end of the barrel to his temple.

He shook is head violently, the terror in his eyes clearly obvious.

I released the gun from his head, but I still held his throat.

"Tell me who you are. What's your name?"

"T-Tino." He said, trying to get me to let go.

"Alright then, Tino," I said, "Here is what your going to do. You're gonna walk out of here, and not tell anybody I was here, and if you do."

I put my magnum's barrel in his face, "Let's just say you won't see the light of day again. Do you got that?"

He nodded.

"Good," I released him, "Now get the fuck out of here." And he ran off.

"Brad, what the hell just happened?" Watts said.

"Just had a run in with some kid. I'm good."

"What did you do?"

I smiled, "Oh, just scared the living shit out of him."

Watts laughed, "Wow. Real creative."

"Oh, you better believe it." As you can see, our friendship had grown over the last few days.

I continued to move towards the offices, having to weave through various alleys and around buildings. I hadn't gotten spotted again, but I had a few close calls.

Eventually, I made it to the building. All the lights were off, which meant that all the leaders had probably gone to their homes.

"Watts, I'm in position. Place looks empty. You see anything?"

"I got nothing. You're good to go."

I nodded, then reached for the door knob, twisting it and opening the door slowly. My flashlight, which was attached to the side of the barrel, shone into the room, scanning over desks and various other pieces of furniture.

The place was empty, like I had expected. All the lights being off gave it a kind of creepy feel, like something was going to jump out and attack you when you least expected it.

I walked through the many rooms, eventually finding the place where they kept files of everything. Rations info, student id's, orders. You named it, it was all right there.

I scrolled through the various files, finding what Merrick and Elias wanted. They didn't bother telling me what it was, only saying that they needed two specific student files.

Who were those two?

Well, just think about it.

"Brad," Watts said suddenly, "I got three heat signatures heading towards you. I advise you get the hell out of there."

"No, Watts. We don't have what we needed yet. Just give me a minute."

"We don't have a minute!"

"Calm down, man. I got it."

"Brad, seriously. Stop being cocky and get out of there."

I ignored him, finding the files we needed, muttering "Bingo" as I grabbed them.

"I got the files, don't worry about a thing."

Watts spoke up, more like he yelled, "Brad, check your damn six! Right now!"

"Freeze!" I heard from behind me, only to turn around and find a soldier aiming right at me.

"Ah fuck," I said to myself.

"Hands in the air." He said, motioning his gun upwards. I complied, but I had a plan.

"You know. You don't have to do this."

"Shut up," he said. He began to walk towards me, but I reached down, pulled my magnum out of its holster, and fire two quick rounds. The man dropped to the floor, his rifle landing next to him.

I heard more voices come from my right, and I knew it was time to go.

"So much for staying quiet," Watts said, "Thanks a lot, asshole."

"Shut up," I said, "Let's just get out of here."

Watts laughed, "Your the one to talk. You got soldiers heading towards you from all directions."

As soon as he said that, gunshots were coming at me from my right side, penetrating the ground next to me. I stumbled on more than one occasion, trying my best to get out of there without being hit. Watts managed to pick off some of the guys, but it didn't end up helping.

I managed to get off of school grounds, but the soldiers continued to follow me. As soon as I got to the street where I had originally came from, two trucks were driving towards me.

"What the fuck?!" I yelled, running into another alley. The trucks began too shoot at me, but I got inside a building right before they could get me.

"Watts, where the fuck are you?!" I screamed, hoping for a response.

"I'm almost to the RV point. Where are you? Are you alright?"

"Are you seriously asking that question?!"

"Yes."

"Well guess what, dickhead! No! I'm not alright!"

"Alright, just calm down. What the hell is going on there?"

I looked up outside,"Well, I'm pinned down by two Humvees, and the entire Federal army wants me dead. So?"

"Hold on. Just try to get away from them."

"And how do you suppose I do that?" I asked angrily.

Before you ask, why was I pissed off? I don't know, you tell me.

"Just try to sneak out of there. Stick the shadows, don't let anybody see you."

I thought it over, not like I needed to or anything, because I didn't have any other choice.

Seriously, it was either try and fight them all head on, or sneak past them.

Obviously, I chose the latter.

"Okay. I'll see you at the RV point."

"I'll be waiting."

* * *

_**Present Day**_

"Did you do it?" The man asked me, referring to Watts' plan for me to sneak past the Feds.

I answered sarcastically, "No, I killed all the Feds because I'm fucking magic."

"There's no need to get pissed off. It was a simple question."

"Simple question? Dude, are you guys fucking stupid?"

They shocked me, and I ended up screaming.

"Keep talking like that. See what happens."

I gritted my teeth. I swear to god, could this guy be anymore of an asshole? After everything I had gone through, the pain and suffering that the Fireflies had put me through, these guys rescue me, only for them to interrogate and torture me. _Again._

I was getting sick of it.

"Why won't you just kill me already?" I said, almost screaming.

The man didn't answer my question, "Just keep talking. Did you eventually meet back up with Watts?"

"And why the hell would I tell you that?"

"Do you want to survive?"

"Yes."

"Then keep talking."

I sighed, looking down at my feet.

"Fucking assholes," I said to myself, and then continued.

* * *

_**1 Month Earlier**_

Sneaking past all the Feds had been no problem. Apparently, none of them had been up on any of the roofs of the buildings outside of the school's perimeter. I simply stayed up on the roofs, making my way towards the RV point, where Watts was waiting.

Eventually, I made it to the RV point, finding Watts sitting against a wall, his guns stood up next to him.

"You're late," he said as I walked up towards him. He started to get up, grabbing his sniper and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Well, if I had some help back at the school, I would've been here sooner."

"Oh, fuck off." He said, punching me lightly on the shoulder.

"Chill out. Our only focus now is getting back to-" I couldn't finish my sentence before a gun shot rang out from the other end of the alley.

Then Watts was falling.

The shot had hit him. It hit him right in his chest, just underneath his throat.

"Watts!" I screamed, grabbing him just before he could fall, not even bothering to see who had shot him.

"I got you, man. Don't worry." I said, dragging him into a building. When we were inside, I laid him on his back, trying to assess the wound.

It was bad. Whoever had shot him must have been aiming high, maybe for his head.

"Is it - bad?" He asked, his voice crumbling.

"Yeah. Very bad. Just hang in there."

I contacted Merrick, "Command, this is Stalker 5-4, Watts is severely wounded, I need a medivac right now."

Some man I didn't recognize responded, "Negative 5-4, we can't send anyone too you at the moment."

"I don't care! Get somebody out here, now!"

Merrick finally came through, "Brad, what's going on?"

"Merrick, we have a major problem. Watts is bleeding out, and I can't stop it. I need help, and fast."

"Brad. I can't just send another team out-."

"I don't give a fuck! My friend is dying here. I need someone, somebody with medical training, out here. Now."

He thought for a minute, then spoke again, "Okay, I'm on my way."

"What the hell does that mean?" I said, but Merrick didn't respond.

As soon as I was done with that, I directed my attention back to Watts. "Alright, you still with me?"

But he was silent. His expression was blank, and my stomach dropped.

"No," I said, "Come on, Watts, stay with me, man."

...

But it was too late.

...

Watts was dead.

The realization hit me like a bus. Watts, my friend, who I had only known for under two weeks, was killed by some person I didn't even bother to look at.

It pissed me off.

It made me stand up, my rage having full control of my functions.

I ran back into the alley, my gun in my hands.

Whoever did this was going to pay.

I ran towards the end of the alley, and sure enough a man and a woman were standing there.

They heard me walk into the street, and turned to look at me.

I stared at them, checking their features. The man looked like he was in his early thirties, he had green eyes and brown hair. I didn't get a good look at the woman, because as soon as they saw me, they ran.

That only made me more angry. So I chased them.

Watts' death would not be in vain.

No matter what.

* * *

The man and the woman didn't get far. They only ran two blocks before they stopped, I was on a nearby roof, looking down at them.

As they caught their breath, the woman spoke, "You think we lost him?" she said.

The man shrugged, "I reckon so. He didn't look like he was going to follow us."

I grabbed my knife, holding it backhanded.

I crouched down at the ledge, and I prepared myself.

"This is for Watts." I whispered to myself, then fell off the edge.

I landed at the end of the alley, and the man and woman turned towards me. The woman tried to pull her gun on me, but I threw the knife at her, then turned and shot the man in the knee.

They both dropped immediately, the woman landing on her back, dead to the world. The man spit curses at me, but I ignored him. I walked towards him, putting my foot on his chest and leaning down towards him.

"Who shot him?" I asked the man.

"Who?"

"The other Ghost, who did it?"

The man hesitated, but answered, "It was her, Amanda. She shot him."

I turned towards the woman, Amanda he had called her, then walked over and pulled my knife out of her chest, where it had landed.

I sighed, "You should know not to fuck with the wrong type of people. Just might have saved your life."

He scowled at me, "Fuck you. You're a monster."

I chuckled, pulling my magnum out, "No, I'm not."

I aimed at his face, "I'm a Ghost. And we take care of each other."

I pulled the trigger.

"Because we're all we have."

* * *

I walked back the way I had come from, finding a squad of soldiers already outside of the shop where I left Watts, two Humvees in the middle of the street. Martinez and Baker were the first to run up to me.

"Where the hell were you?" Martinez asked, "We got here and you were nowhere to be seen."

"Where's Watts?" Baker said, his eyes were full of concern.

I said nothing, only pointing to inside the shop.

They both immediately turned and ran into the shop, busting the glass and hoping through.

After that, I collapsed to my knees.

...

...

Why?

Why did it have to be him?

Why couldn't it have been me?

Watts didn't deserve to die. He didn't have to fight his way through a city full of soldiers. No, he got the free pass straight to the RV point, away from all the fighting, away from everything.

I should've died at least twenty times today.

The soldiers, the infected(yeah, I ran into some runners), Amanda and that other guy, who I didn't even bother trying to figure out his name.

The two innocent people who I murdered in cold blood, just so I could get back at them.

I didn't realize I had been crying until it was too late.

Then Merrick spoke.

"Get up," he said, reaching his hand down at me. He was in full body armor, along with a mask that covered half of his face.

I grabbed his wrist, and he pulled me up.

"How did it happen?" He asked, staring down at me.

I shrugged, "A woman shot him. I think she was a hunter, since she was armed. A man was with her."

"Do you know who they were?"

I shook my head, "No, I killed them before I could find out."

He pulled his mask down, "You did what?"

"I'm sorry Merrick, but those assholes killed my friend. I wasn't going to let them walk away like it was okay."

I looked down, "Besides, we look out for own. I thought you knew that better than all of us."

He was about to speak, but then Martinez and Baker walked out of the store, Martinez had Watts' body slung over his shoulders. Baker's eyes were red, which meant that he must have been crying.

I didn't blame him for being sad, him and Watts were practically brothers. They had been together since New York (Watts saved Baker from some infected, and they've been best friends since), and all they've had was each other.

And now that Watts is dead, Baker just lost the closest thing to family he had.

Eventually, Merrick just said, "We'll talk later," and walked towards one of the trucks. I followed, and soon we were driving away.

I didn't look at or talk to anyone as we drove back to the zone. Martinez and Baker tried to speak multiple times, but I simply ignored them, just staring out of the window.

We weren't driving for more than ten minutes when we arrived back. We all got out, Martinez and Baker walking towards the infirmary. I didn't even bother going with them, I had had enough shit happen for one day.

I returned my gear to the armory, then I headed back to my apartment, in the same building where all the soldiers lived. When I arrived, I immediately flopped down on my bed.

I stared up at the ceiling, my arms outstretched to my sides.

And again, I was questioning it.

Why him? Why did it have to be Watts?

_Get a hold of yourself, _I thought, _It's over now._

But it wasn't.

And it never will be.

Watts' death will haunt me until the day I die.

And I couldn't prevent that.

* * *

**The Next Day**

This morning, Martinez came up to me and said him, Baker, and I were going to bury Watts' body. I hadn't questioned where or when, just saying okay and that I would be there.

We met up on the south wall that evening, Watts' mask in one of my hands and a rifle in the other. Martinez had two shovels in his hand, while Baker had Watts' body slung over his shoulder. They both stared at me when I walked up.

"So," I said when I reached them, "Where are we doing this?"

"About half a mile out," Martinez said, "We already have a spot cleared out."

"Alright." I said, and we headed out.

The walk took about twenty minutes, none of us speaking. Lucky for us, the area had been cleared of infected long ago.

Martinez showed me the spot where we were going to bury Watts, and he and I started digging his grave. We dug the grave facing southwest, towards Philadelphia. This was standard tradition for Ghosts, so when one of their soldiers dies, they can protect their squadmates in the afterlife. It was bizarre, I have to admit, but it didn't really matter. After that, we placed his body inside, making sure he was in face first.

Then, I placed the rifle next to his body, then we filled in the grave. We had a small cross set up by his feet, and I placed his mask over the top.

We were all silent after that, none of us bothering to look at one another.

Baker was the one to break the silence.

"We should go. It'll get dark soon."

Martinez nodded, then he grabbed the two shovels and started heading back, Baker on his heels. When I didn't follow, he turned around. "You coming?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'll catch up with you guys." He didn't say anything, only nodding and walking away.

I stared at the ground, looking at where we had just buried his body.

...

I still felt guilty.

Like all of this was my fault.

I could have prevented his death, if I had just been paying-.

...

No.

I couldn't do that to myself.

"Goodbye Watts." I said, and I turned around, "I'm sorry."

And I walked away.

* * *

**Yeah, told you things were going to be sad. Poor Watts :( .**

**If you want to hate, I highly advise you do. I accept any and all criticism.**

**Oh, and Watts has the same mask as Ajax. While Brad has the same one as Logan.**

**Anyway. I do hoped you enjoyed, and please leave a review.**

**You may now continue to Chapter 4.**

**-Broncozfan623**


	4. Investigation

**No authors note.**

* * *

The mall was, just like any other place, in ruins. Shrubbery covered most of the walls, and grass was starting to sprout up through the floor. Luckily for Brad, no spores were there, so he there was no need for his gas mask.

Though there was not a single sign of people, he held his gun at ready. The flashlight he had strapped to the side was shining on the walls wherever he looked.

He walked down a set of escalators not far from the entrance, checking his surroundings. He kept walking after that, eyeing a sign that displayed a orange and green water gun. He had heard of all those things that kids had before the outbreak, it all sounded kind of stupid to him. He wondered why people would ever waste their time on things like those, but never paid much attention to it.

It was after that he saw the tent, the FDRA logo on top. Brad walked up to it, finding the entrance wide open. He looked inside, piles of random things were all over the place, and there was even a half empty wine bottle in a bin.

"This has to be from that dead soldier," he stood up and turned his radio on, "Merrick, come in," nothing but static came through, "Merrick, are you there?" The same static came through.

Brad turned it off, "Damn signal is blocked off."

He exited the tent, only to have a surprise for him. The lights inside the mall suddenly came on, bathing the place in light. Brad jumped in surprise; he wasn't expecting anything to happen. But at that point, he knew. Someone was in the mall. It could be the girls; or some soldiers. Whoever it was though, he had to find them.

Brad just kept moving, searching any areas where there could be sings of the people that were there. He stopped inside of a Halloween store to check his gear and ammo. Though he knew he had everything and he hadn't fired a single round, he checked anyway. After that, he continued searching.

He eventually came across the area where the power had been turned on. He knew that the military had flipped of the areas outside of the quarantine zone, so the breaker should be off. Whoever had turned back on must have known that. He didn't pay much attention to it before leaving walking out of that section of the mall.

He passed a whole bunch of different things in the mall. A carousel, a photo booth, more stores, Brad was starting to feel jealous of the people that lived before the outbreak. But, then his thoughts returned to the present.

As soon as he entered the arcade, music burst through the speakers of the entire mall. Brad once again jumped in surprise.

"What the fuck? What the hell is going here?" was all he said. Then he started running. He ran because he needed to find who was there, and fast.

He eventually made it into a room where the sound was coming from. That's where he heard the voices. They were laughing. He also saw two backpacks that had to belong to the people there.

He moved quietly, sticking to the shadows and staying low. He hid behind a shelf and looked at where the voices were.

There, standing on a display case, were the two girls that Merrick and Elias had sent him to find. All this time, they were the ones that had done all that stuff in the mall. But he was still surprised.

"Holy shit. It's actually them." Was all he said.

Then he heard the footsteps, swift and fast. Brad didn't have to think about what they were.

"Oh no." he said.

Infected

Two runners were coming straight towards him. He turned, preparing to fire.

The gunshot rocked around the mall, silencing everything and everyone in the area.


	5. Devestation

**Congratulations. You made it to Chapter 5.**

**Now, I know I said Ellie and Riley enter the fray in the last chapter. But, Riley's POV starts in this chapter. For the rest of the story, I will be alternating between Brad's and Riley's POV's, and I will be letting you know when POVs do switch.**

**I don't have much more to say, so simply continue reading.  
**

* * *

_"**Devastation"**_

**July 2, 2033, 07:24:54**

**Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America**

**PFC Brad Johnston, Task Force: STALKER**

**Current Status: Alive**

* * *

_**(Brad)**_

A great man once said, long before the pandemic, that it was better to fight for something than to live for nothing.

I had never really taken that thought in to mind when I was a kid, but I always kept it in mind, especially in the world that we lived in now.

But, it wasn't until after I left Charlotte that it returned to my mind.

When I left, I pretty much took that motto as my own, making that my life long mission.

Always find something to fight for, whether it was my life, another person's life, or my country. You can say I take it too literally, but I don't care.

That day, the day I met Ellie and Riley, was just another example of that.

It would also be the day that everything would change.

My life, _our_ lives, would never be the same after that day.

Nothing would.

* * *

_**(Riley)**_

Of course it had to be then, right when everything was about to be just the way I wanted it to.

That day had been perfect, everything about it was perfect. Seeing Ellie again after so long, the Halloween store, the photo booth, the water gun fight; it had been the best day of my life.

That was, until the infected showed up, and the gunshots. Like the infected wasn't enough, we had to know that someone had been in the mall with us the entire time.

Today was full of surprises, I guess.

I turned around, a runner coming out from behind one of the shelves. It turned towards us, snarling, then sprinting right at me and Ellie.

I heard Ellie scream my name from behind me, as I took out the gun that was in my back pocket, only for the runner to fall before I could fire.

"What the hell?" I said, just as the runner hit the ground. I looked around to see who had fired, only to find nobody there.

That was, until someone ran out from behind the shelf. He was in all black, which looked like gear a soldier would wear. He had a rifle in his hands, and a magnum holstered on his waist. His entire face was masked, with white marks displaying across the front.

He looked down at the body of the runner, making sure it was dead. After that, he looked at us.

He yelled,"What the hell are you two doing?"

Instinctively, I pointed my gun at him, shouting, "Who are you?!"

"That doesn't matter, just run!" he said right back.

More screams came from behind him, and he turned around to see more runners coming towards us.

"We got to get the fuck out of here. Come on!" he said, waving me and Ellie along behind him.

I put my gun back in my pocket, turning to Ellie,"Ellie, let's go."

"But Riley-"

"We don't have time, come on!" I said as I ran after the masked guy.

She looked at me, as if hesitant to leave, until she just hoped off the display case and ran behind us.

We ran inside a storage room, and the masked guy shut the door behind us as we ran in.

"Barricade the door!" He said, and started to push a cart up against the door.

When we did, he turned away and began running again, "This way. Let's go." He said as he ran.

I turned to follow him, waving Ellie along.

"What about our backpacks?" she said.

"Fuck the backpacks. Now come on."

I heard mystery man curse under his breath, shutting a door and putting some sort of pipe between the handles, just before the infected slammed into it.

"Um." he said as he looked around the room, trying to find another way out. Eventually, he walked up to a large shutter, trying to lift it up. He turned and looked at me, yelling "Give me a hand with this."

I immediately ran up to help, and we lifted it up enough for someone to crawl through.

As expected, he looked at me, "Find something to hold it up with," he said, straining just to keep it up. I crawled under the door, ignoring the mystery guy's plea to hurry.

When I was on the other side, I searched around frantically, trying to find something.

"Riley, they're almost through!" I heard Ellie scream from behind me, and that only made panic more.

I finally found a cart sitting in a corner of the room, and Ellie and I pushed it underneath the shutter. "Okay, go!" I said.

The guy stopped holding the shutter, and began to slide under. As soon as he did, a runner tried to crawl under and grab his legs. I shot two rounds into its head, just as it got through.

He looked down at the runner, then at me, muttering "Thanks". Then he turned away, moving towards another door. He tried to ram into it and open it, and when that didn't work, he shot the handle.

"Through here," was all he said.

And just like that, we were running again.

We ran through what appeared to be a garage, but nonetheless, it sucked. The infected were everywhere, it seemed like they were just appearing out of nowhere. There were just so goddamn many.

I turned around for a second,"Ellie, you still with us?" I had said.

She responded shortly after,"Yeah! I'm right behind you! Keep running!" and so I did.

The man had stopped, and he was shooting infected that were coming from in front of us. I had stopped to do the same, if a runner hadn't attacked me from the side.

It had shoved me against a bunch of boxes, slashing its teeth at me, just trying to get one bite at me.

It would have, if not for Ellie. She jumped on the runner's back and stabbed it at least half a dozen times.

"Wow," was all I could say at that point.

"Come on, you two!" The guy ahead yelled, and he was running up the stairs ahead of us, Ellie and I right behind him.

"You know a way out of this place?!" he yelled back at us.

"There's some scaffolding up ahead. We just have to keep running." I responded quickly.

"Then that's where we're heading!" he said, still running.

He burst through the door at the top of the stairs, and continued running down the hall, only for infected to come out and stop him dead in his tracks.

"Fuck. This way!" he said, bursting through a door to his right.

We kept running through the door the man had taken. Eventually making it to where there was an open window. The man had gotten up towards where we had to climb up. Then he turned around, waving me and Ellie past him.

"Get up there! Let's go!" He said, just before he started shooting at more infected.

I didn't object to what he said, so I climbed up then turned around to help Ellie. Just as she had grabbed on, the scaffolding started to fall.

"Give me your hand!" I yelled, but it was too late.

I take back what I said. This day fucking sucked.

The man shot again, and then he looked up at me.

"Help her! I'll cover you." He said, and then he turned and shot another infected.

I didn't object once again, and went down to help Ellie. She had been tackled by an infected, but the man didn't try and shoot it.

It didn't matter, because I was able to get down and shoot it before any others could come and tackle me too.

And it looked like that was going to happen, because an infected was running straight for me.

Of it hadn't been for mystery guy, who had shot it just before it could reach me. His rifle was swinging to his side, replaced by a shiny magnum.

He looked at the infected, making sure it was dead. Then he lowered his gun.

"I think we're clear," he said, checking the way we had come in from.

Then he turned and looked at me, "What the hell were you two thinking?"

I looked back at him in disbelief, "What the fuck do you care?!"

"Do you have any idea what could have happened? You could've gotten us all fucking killed! You should be thankful I saved your-"

Then he turned to look at Ellie, and when he did, I swear his stomach dropped.

"What is it?"

He didn't respond, only shaking his head

His eyes were the only thing that wasn't exposed by his mask. And what I saw shocked me.

His eyes were shaking.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, concerned.

But all he did was look down, muttering, "I'm so sorry,"

"What are you talking about?"

He didn't respond, only gesturing towards Ellie.

Oh god, Ellie.

What if the infected had-

…

…

…

No.

They couldn't have.

Reluctantly, I turned around and looked at her.

She just stood there; her hand was covering her right arm.

Blood flowed from underneath.

"Ellie," I said, my voice crumbling.

She looked at the man behind me, as if reluctant to show me the wound. I didn't see what he did, but as far as I could tell, I think he wanted her to show me.

And so she did.

And right there, on her right arm, were large, red teeth marks. Blood continued to flow out of the wound, trailing down her arm and onto her hand.

Staring at that wound, I only could say one word,"No."

Nobody said anything after that, the entire mall appearing to have fallen into silence.

* * *

_**(Brad)**_

**Present Day**

"And that's what happened," I said to the men above me,"I swear to god that's how Ellie got bitten. Riley and I were there, we both saw it."

The man responded, "We know that. But why didn't you stop it?"

"What the hell did you want me to do?"

"The point is, Brad, you failed your mission. You're job was to get Ellie and Riley out unharmed, and you didn't accomplish that."

"No!" I screamed at them. "I didn't fail. I couldn't have!"

"Do not fuck with me, Brad!" the man screamed, "We know what your objective was, and what happened. Lying is not going to help you here!"

I just looked down at the ground, if they already knew what the objective was, they must have already known about what happened to Ellie after that.

Either way, they thought it was my fault that she had gotten bitten. They knew it, and I knew it.

But yet, here we were; in the middle this of who-the-fuck-knows-where room, with these assholes, who have absolutely no use for me.

Or so I thought.

"Why the hell do you care about all this?" I yelled, "Why won't you just kill me already?!"

The men didn't respond, only staring at me, and that only got me more frustrated.

"Come on!" I yelled, "Fucking do it already! You don't need me!"

"Yes we do."

That made me stop, and I sat there and stared at them blankly.

"What for?" I asked, staring right back at them.

"We already told you. After you went M.I.A, Ellie Williams was kidnapped from the Ghosts' quarantine zone. Nobody knows where she is or where they could have possibly taken her."

He stopped for a moment, "You, Brad, are the only one who knows where she is. You just need to remember."

"I can't," I said, "Even if tried, you won't get anything."

I looked up at them, "Just who the fuck are you, anyway!?"

"We can't tell you,"

"Well, why the fuck not?!"

"Just calm done, Brad. Who we are is classified, and where you are is no different." He paused, "What I can tell you is that we are the ones who got you out of New York."

Well, that means they are either Feds, or they're Ghosts. Whatever, I just need to give them what they want.

But how? They say I know where Ellie is, but in reality, I don't have a damn clue.

Doesn't matter. I think I'll remember soon enough.

I hope.

* * *

_**(Riley)**_

**Three Weeks Earlier**

"Fuck!" She yelled, as she slammed the pipe back into the wall. I sat there next to her as she slammed the pipe down again and again, the man leaning against a wall across from us.

Eventually, she just threw the pipe away, and then flopped down on the ground next to me. I didn't look at her, but I knew that she had been crying.

"There's some more stuff over there that you can break." I said to her, hoping that it would cheer her up.

It didn't, and she just brought her hand up to her eyes, continuing to wipe tears away. "What am I gonna do?" she said, whimpering.

The man spoke up,"Well, the way I see it, you got-," he didn't get to finish his sentence, because I had stood up and had my gun pointed straight at his head.

"You need to start talking." I said.

He put his hands up, "Calm done, kid. I'm not here to-."

"Shut the fuck up!" I screamed, silencing him once again. Ellie didn't say anything behind me, and the man just stared at me.

"Who the hell are you?!" I yelled again, taking a step towards him.

He just sighed, "Just calm done," he said, and he started reaching up towards his mask, beginning to pull it off of his face.

He was young; I could tell by the way he looked. Brown hair, blue eyes, he barely even looked older then me.

"I know you don't trust me," he said,"And I get that. But I am not your enemy here," he then took a step towards me, "Just put the gun down."

I looked at him, and then back at Ellie, who just looked at me blankly. Eventually I lowered my gun, a breath of relief coming from the man.

"Just," I said, stuttering, "Tell us who you are, and why you are here."

He nodded,"Okay."

"My name is Brad Johnston. I am an active soldier for Task Force Stalker. I have been operating inside this area of Boston for about a week now."

"Task Force Stalker is a military faction, formed by the original United States Special Forces, which included the Navy SEALS, US Army Rangers, and Delta Force. We were formed in 2014, about a year after the pandemic started."

"Ever since then, we have been fighting both the Fireflies and the military across the country. Boston is one of our major strongholds, along with New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago."

I nodded, and then I spoke up, "How long have you been with them?" I asked.

"About two weeks. I have been working with some fellow soldiers since I enlisted, but I was assigned this one alone."

I didn't say anything for a minute, "What about the masks?"

"Oh," he said, "Guess I forgot that part."

"What do you mean?" Ellie asked."

He picked up his mask, "When the task force was created, the soldiers decided to use stealth tactics against the military. They stayed in the dark, hunted in the shadows, and, well, _haunted _their enemies."

"Haunted?" I asked, trying not to get nervous.

He then looked up from his mask, "They called us Ghosts," then he lifted it up for us to see, "and we don't stand against our enemies."

Then he put it on, "We haunt them."

My stomach dropped.

Fuck.

I fucking knew it.

He's one of them. A Ghost.

Marlene, she had warned me about them. She told me that they were dangerous, savages, and cold-blooded killers. She had said that if I got captured by one of them, I certainly wouldn't have survived.

"But, why are you _here?_" Ellie asked, interrupting my thoughts, "In this mall, I mean."

"Well," Brad said, "Like I said, I was assigned to come extract you two out of this area and to our side of the city. My command said you two have vital information on the Fireflies and their leader, Marlene."

"Okay," I said, "But why us? What makes us so important?"

Brad shrugged, "Like I said, you two have vital intel about the Fireflies that we need."

He took the mask off, "Listen. This war has gone on for too long. Too many people have died, but we are slowly on the verge of wiping the Fireflies and Feds out of the city. They always say the Fireflies are the ones attacking their QZ. Well, they had a little help."

"Feds?" I asked, looking quite confused.

"The military, whatever is left of the United States government. You know those guys."

"Oh," was all I could say. Yeah, people had called them the military for years. But Feds, never.

"I'm confused," Ellie said, "Where are you supposed to take us?"

"To the capital building, originally," he replied, "But, chances are you wouldn't make it, now that you're bitten."

"Yeah, I think I know that," Ellie responded. Brad picked up his gun, and then began to walk towards the way we came.

"Where are you going?" I asked, walking towards him.

He turned around, "Did you two have medical supplies in either of your backpacks?"

I nodded, "I did. But why?"

"If we can clean the wound, it could slow the infection down. It might be able to buy us enough time to get to the capitol before she turns."

He turned to walk away, but I spoke up, "Why are you doing this?"

He didn't say anything for a moment, then he turned back around, "Just," he paused, "stay with her. I'll be back soon."

I was still rooted where I stood after he left; only staring at the hall he just walked down. Eventually, I shook my head, turning around and grabbing the mask he had left.

I studied it for a moment. The mask had white marks on it, the shape of it bizarre and unlike any mask I had ever seen. Sure, those masks in the store earlier looked pretty weird, but those didn't even compare to this.

It's like the markings were a symbol, of sorts. To whom they are, and what they do.

_Ghosts, Haunt them. _It was strange in a whole new level.

Eventually, after I stopped staring at the mask, I walked over and sat next to Ellie again. We sat in silence for a while, until she spoke up.

"I know you don't trust him."

I shrugged, "Yeah, I know."

She said nothing after that, only resting her head against my shoulder. "What do you think is going to happen?"

I didn't respond, because honestly, I didn't have a clue what was going to happen, let alone think about it.

"I just hope, whatever happens, we all end up okay."

I shifted how I was sitting, allowing me to wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her into my side.

"Let's just hope it turns out that way." Ellie said.

I didn't say anything, only sitting there, staring at the wall in front of us.

* * *

_**(Brad)**_

The infected had cleared out, thank god. I didn't really feel like getting a bite on my skin today.

I didn't have any problems getting back to the area I found Ellie and Riley, the bodies still laying on the ground from where I had shot them. The display case I found the girls standing on had a small splatter of blood on it, but overall, the place looked normal.

I backtracked to the entrance of the room, and found the two backpacks I had been looking for. They were sitting side by side on the ground, one containing two orange and green water guns. I laughed, shaking my head, "Lucky bastards," I said, then tried to contact Merrick.

"Command, this is Stalker 5-4 reporting in, does anybody copy?" When no one responded, I tried again, "Command, this is Brad. Does anyone copy?"

There was static, but Merrick eventually came through, "Brad? Brad, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. I found the 2 H.V.I," I paused, "But we got a problem,"

"What is it?" Merrick asked. I didn't respond, because honestly, I didn't know how to tell him. I mean, how do you tell someone that a person you have been looking for is totally fucked and has been guaranteed certain death?

If you have an idea, give me call, because I sure as hell don't.

"Brad, what the hell happened out there?" Merrick asked again. I could tell he was getting nervous, by the way he was asking.

"Ellie is bitten," I blurted out, a little bit too fast. Merrick said nothing, then said to, "Sorry Brad, repeat your last."

"I said, Ellie is bitten," I said again, this time more slowly and firmly, "She's not going to make it to the capitol."

Once again, Merrick was silent. He probably was trying to absorb everything I had just said; I mean, who wouldn't be shocked by that?

"Goddammit," I heard him mutter, then something land hard on the floor. It was pretty obvious that he was pissed off, and I don't blame him for it.

I stood there for a minute, just staring blankly into space. When I snapped out of it, I asked, "What do you want me to do, sir?"

"Hold on," Merrick said almost immediately, then I heard him speak to someone else, I couldn't tell who he was talking to, or what he was saying, but it was most likely Elias, or Martinez. Hell, maybe it was some fucking random guy that works in the command center.

"Okay," Merrick said, "Here's what you're going to do."

"I'm listening."

"You guys are going to work your way down south, away from the Feds and towards your new RV point. There, you will meet up with Martinez and Baker, who will have a Humvee ready to bring you guys back."

"What if Martinez and Baker find out about Ellie?"

Merrick was silenced once more, obviously not prepared for that question, "Um," he said, "Shit. Just try to tell them she got shot our something. Try to make it like she got hurt on your way there."

"Okay," I said, but I knew that wasn't going to be easy. Martinez and Baker weren't idiots, I knew that. They obviously would try to check the wound, and then they would find out about the bite, and most likely kill Ellie and Riley, then probably take me hostage.

But fuck it; I don't see any other option.

"You got that?" Merrick asked.

"Got it, Stalker 5-4 out," I said before turning my radio off. I grabbed the backpacks, slung them over my shoulder, and walked off.

When I got back, Ellie and Riley were sitting where they had been after Ellie started breaking shit. I dropped the backpacks in front of them, and then I told them all about the new plan.

"And what if these guys find out?" Riley asked, as she began to start cleaning the bite.

"They won't," I said, "Trust me, I know these guys. They can trust us."

"I don't know," Riley said.

"Come on," I responded, "What, you don't trust me?"

"Of course I don't."

I chuckled, "You wouldn't be the first one," I then stood up, "I'm going to find a way out of here. We can move when you're done."

And with that, I left again. It didn't take me long to find another exit, and when I did, I just sat down.

This was too fucking much.

The hunt thru the mall, the infected, Ellie getting bitten; now, this fucking plan that Merrick pulled out of thin air, it was too much for me.

And yes, I do have my limits when it comes to this.

I heard footsteps behind me, and immediately knew who it was, "Come on out, Riley." I yelled.

I heard her sigh, "Damn, you're good." She said.

I shrugged, and she sat next to me. We sat in silence for a while, until I finally spoke.

"How long?" I asked, my question surprising her.

"What?" She said.

"How long were you missing? From the school?" I said again.

She thought it over, and then answered, "46 days. I got chased out of the QZ by some muggers."

Bullshit, she was lying. It couldn't have been that.

I mean, she was gone for _46 days_, over a month. And she says it was because of a couple of muggers? Sorry, but that's totally BS.

Whatever, two can play at this game.

"Why didn't you come back immediately?"

"I couldn't," she said, "Soldiers were all over the area outside."

I didn't say anything, only looking down at my gun.

Then she asked me a question, "How old are you?"

I didn't even think before answering, "Seventeen."

She said nothing, but I knew she was shocked. I laughed, "Yeah. I left home when I was fifteen, came here to Boston."

"Damn," she said, then looked out towards the sky.

We were once again silent. I knew this was my only chance to get here to trust me on this, to assure her that it would all be over soon.

So I took my shot.

"Look, Riley," I said, "I know you don't trust me,"

"Who said I didn't-"

"Cut the bullshit. I'm not stupid."

She said nothing, only looking at me blankly.

So I continued, "Look. I'm very sorry about Ellie, I truly am. But, you have got trust me on this. This could be our last chance to end it all. And as much as I hate to say it, but we _need_ you two."

She looked at me, staring at me with those dark, brown eyes.

"You got that?" I asked.

She looked down, and then nodded, "Okay."

I smiled, "Good."

Mission accomplished, sort of.

* * *

"Okay. We got about 48 hours until you turn, so we got to get there as quick as possible." I said as I loaded another magazine into my gun.

"Yeah, I got it." Ellie said, standing next to Riley, who had her pistol in her hands.

"Good. And if you feel anything, and I mean _anything_, you let me know, okay?"

"Yes."

"Good." Then I looked at Riley, "You ready?"

She nodded.

"Alright then," I said, cocking my gun, "Let's move."

* * *

**And there it is, Brad finally meets Ellie and Riley, and we finally get to here this story from Riley's perspective. Thank you all once again for all the support, and please leave a review.**

**Brad's quote is from General George S. Patton.**

**That is about it, so until next time! **

**-Broncozfan623**


	6. Rendezvous

**Hi there. Welcome to the chapter six.**

**Yeah, this one is a bit late, sorry. I had to start writing it on Google Docs(my computer was completely wiped, so I have to reinstall Microsoft Word), and finish writing this on WordPad as a last resort. Plus, I spent a lot of time reconstructing my old chapters. As you have probably already seen, Chapters 2 &amp; 3 are reconstructed, and there is some very important info on those chapters you should probably see.**

**I do want to thank everyone once again for the support on this story. I hit 1,000 views since I last updated, and I got almost 150 within the first five days of the chapter being up. That is awesome to me, so thank you guys so much.**

**Also, starting now, I am going to be putting a recommended track at the beginning of every chapter. Now, these songs are all my personal picks, and I will happily accept any other songs you suggest. Please take note that these songs go for the entire story, not for just the chapter they are recommended on.**

**Beware, this chapter will be kind of long. I wanted to fit a lot of stuff into it, and it wouldn't have flowed right if i split it into two chapters.**

**(Chapter does contain some Ellie/Riley moments. If you don't like the pairing, either skip that part or leave this story.)**

* * *

_**"Rendezvous"**_

**July 2, 2033, 10:30:42**

**Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America**

**PFC Brad Johnston, Task Force: STALKER**

**Status: Alive**

* * *

**_(Brad)_**

You could only here two sounds.

...

The constant pounding of rain on the earth.

...

And endless chatter between two people.

...

"Charlotte? You're fucking with me." Ellie said, kicking away a piece of rubble.

I shook my head, "I'm dead serious."

The rain had been falling for almost two hours straight, causing the sky to go from bright and blue to dark and gray. If you asked me, I would say it was depressing.

Ellie had constantly been asking me questions for the past ten minutes, stuff like _How old are you? _and _Where were you from?_. I had told her I was seventeen, and from Charlotte, but she didn't believe me at first.

Riley was surprisingly quiet during the entire exchange, just standing next to Ellie with her eyes down.

Something was obviously bothering her, but I couldn't figure out what.

So I asked.

"Are you alright? You're not talking much."

She looked up at me and shrugged, "There's nothing much to talk about, really."

"Well," I stuttered, "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," She snapped, and then looked back at the ground.

I looked at Ellie, expecting an explanation for Riley's attitude, but she only shook her head, so I dropped it.

Eventually, we reached the outer perimeter of the Feds' wall. Merrick had instructed me that we were to go around the outer perimeter of the city, then head through the downtown area to where we were meeting the other Ghosts. The plan was risky, and Riley objected almost immediately, but she eventually committed.

"Alright," I said, raising my gun,"This place should be crawling with Feds, so keep your eyes peeled."

"What happens if they find us?" Riley said.

"They won't. Hopefully."

She didn't respond, but I did hear her sigh.

We kept moving, me constantly checking corners and around the rough terrain. We eventually were walking through an old truck, and as soon as I exited, a stock of a gun connected with my head.

In an instant, I was on the ground, with a flashlight shining right in my face. A male soldier was towering over me, his pistol aimed at my face. To his left, I saw Ellie and Riley hop out of the truck, followed by another soldier.

"Well well well," the man said, "We got ourselves a Ghost here."

The female walked up, and by the way she reacted, she was excited, "Damn. Score one for the Feds."

I scowled at her, "You want a fucking trophy?"

She shoved Ellie and Riley forward, and the man grabbed me and threw me to the side.

"Just look the other way," I said, "We can make this worth your while."

"Shut up," the man said, "I'm getting tired of assholes like you."

"Why? Because we kick your asses every time?"

He punched me, but he knew that that was worthless.

I laughed, "That all you got? A stupid Firefly could hit me harder than you."

The man didn't respond, but I knew he was pissed.

"You wanna scan these two?" The woman said, nodding towards Ellie and Riley, "I'll call this in."

"Sure," then he turned to me, "Don't try anything."

I scoffed, "You wouldn't be able to stop me anyway."

The man just walked towards Ellie and Riley, while the other soldier forced me to my knees, my hands behind my head.

I looked towards the girls, and they both basically had the same look.

...

Fear.

...

I needed a distraction, and fast.

But, sure enough, the man started to scan Ellie.

...

I only had one chance.

So I took it.

I elbowed the woman right in the knee, and she hurled forward. Then, I reached out, grabbed my magnum from the ground, and fired off two quick shots.

And before you knew it, both the soldiers were dead.

I shook my head, "Too easy."

Ellie stood up then, "Fuck. I thought you were just going to slow them down or something."

I laughed, "Nah, that's not my style."

I grabbed my rifle from the ground, then I heard the screech of tires. Sure enough, headlights of two military trucks came into view, and they were closing in.

"Shit. We have to go. Now!" I said, and we all ran.

Getting around all the Feds was no problem. We stuck to the shadows, and I would toss old bottles and bricks to distract them.

We eventually found ourselves at the end of one street, a patrol of Feds on the other side.

"Shit," I said, crouching back down behind the car we were next to, "They got another patrol up ahead."

Ellie groaned, "How many of these guys are there?"

I shrugged, "Probably an entire platoon. So, maybe fifteen to thirty guys."

"Man, this sucks."

"You're not wrong."

I looked out again, the Feds getting closer, but they were still far away.

"Okay. Keep it tight and stay low. We don't want to draw anymore attention to ourselves."

Then I walked out, crouched down and gun up, staying as quiet as possible. Ellie and Riley were following suite right behind me.

We managed to sneak past them, and ran the rest of the way out of the street. We made our way through an old sewage drain, me shutting the gate right after everyone was through.

"Alright. I think we're good."

I turned to the girls, "You two good?"

Ellie shrugged, muttering "I'm fine" and Riley just gave me a slight nod. She remained silent, and at this point, it started to annoy me.

I took a step forward, "Okay. Riley, you're acting weird."

She looked up at me, "What are you talking about?"

"Well for starters, you haven't said a single thing since we left the mall. Something is clearly bothering you, but you keep refusing to talk to me or Ellie about it."

"So?"

"So, what the hell is your problem?"

"I don't see why it's such a big deal."

I shook my head, "Because it's my job to make sure you two get back in one piece." I pointed at Ellie, "And so far, I've already failed on one part."

I continued, looking down at the ground for a second, "I'm just saying, if we're going to get to the Ghosts' Q.Z. before she turns, we need to be on the same page. Okay?"

She said nothing, just staring at her feet.

Then she spoke.

"I don't understand."

I blinked, "Understand what?"

"Why you care so much."

I took a step backwards, "What are you talking about?"

"Why do you care? About us? I've only known you for three hours, yet you think I have to follow you across a city full of infected just so you can get so intel. Well, what then? Your going to kill Ellie and I, huh?"

"Riley, calm d-"

"Just fuck off, will you!" Then she stormed off, leaving me speechless where I stood.

I was completely taken aback by what she said. Because, she was right. I had only known them for three hours, and I was acting like I was their guardian.

Whatever. It doesn't matter, I guess.

I turned to Ellie, "Is she always like this?" I asked.

She shrugged, "Not really. Only when you really piss her off."

I nodded, "Well, I'm good at doing that to people."

She laughed, but it was weak and quiet.

And then it was just that.

Quiet.

Eventually, Ellie stood up and began walking, "I should really go talk to her."

I nodded, "Go ahead."

Then she left, leaving me alone to myself.

* * *

**_(Riley)_**

I just don't get it.

What's his deal?

Why the fuck does he care so much?

It's not like we're friends or anything. Right?

Whatever, I'm sure he's just an asshole anyway.

I heard walking coming from my right, and a voice joining it.

"Riley?" It was Ellie, of course.

I answered, "Over here."

She walked up to me, and sat down to my left. Neither of us said anything for a minute, until she spoke.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"About what?"

"About what just happened. You're clearly upset."

She grabbed my hand, "Can you talk to me about it, please?"

I looked up at her, and she was staring at me, with her deep, shining emerald eyes. I swear to god, her eyes are going to kill me one day.

So, I sighed, "Alright," I said.

"I just-" I stuttered. Ellie continued to stare at me, and that only made me more nervous of what I was about to say.

Despite that though, I continued, "I just don't think we can trust him."

Ellie looked at me questioningly, "Why not? Brad seems like a-"

I cut her off, "I know, but Marlene told me about these people. She said that they were dark, cold-blooded killers who only fight because they enjoy it."

She looked at me like I was crazy, "And I know that sounds insane, but-," I stuttered again, "Ellie, is just don't want you to get hurt. I mean, what are they going to do to us when we get there, especially to you?"

I stopped, and Ellie decided to talk, "I don't know. It doesn't really matter anymore." She said, looking down at the bandage that concealed her bite.

I looked back up at her, and she had a look of sadness was showing on her face. It made me upset, looking at her.

She didn't deserve this, didn't deserve to die at such a young age.

"Are you okay?" I asked, staring at her intently.

And in that moment I realized she was crying.

Tears were slowly starting to fall from her eyes, and she started shaking slightly with sobs.

Immediately, I reached out and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her as close to me as possible. She continued to cry, burying her face against my shoulder.

"Shh...it's okay." I said over and over again, rubbing my hand across her back.

I didn't know why she started crying, probably facing the fate she was going to have in a few short hours. I knew she wouldn't want to talk about it, but I had to know.

When she did eventually stop crying, she pulled back from my shoulder, staring right into my eyes.

"What was that about?" I asked, thumbing the tears off of her cheeks.

She sniffled, "I was just...thinking."

"About?"

She didn't reply, only staring at me unconsciously.

...

Then she kissed me.

For the second time that day.

...

It caught me completely by surprise, but I eventually settled into the kiss. I wrapped my arms tightly around her waist, and she placed both of her hands on my cheeks. We kissed for what seemed like an eternity, until she pulled away.

"I love you," she breathed, resting her forehead against mine. She still had her hands on my cheeks, and her words only made me wrap my arms more tightly around her.

I stared back at her, brushing her hair from her face, and repeated what she said, "I love you too."

And that was that. Neither of us said anything, just sitting there, her head resting on my shoulder.

After a while, she broke the silence, "We should get back to Brad."

I hesitated, but eventually I nodded, and we walked back together, our hands intertwined.

I could get used to moments like that. When it's just me and her.

...

I wish those moments could last forever.

Yeah. That would be nice.

* * *

"Are you sure we're going the right way?"

Brad looked back at us, the patterns from his mask covering his face. He hadn't taken it off since we were at the mall, and it had gotten soaked from all of the rain.

"Trust me. I know where we're going." He said, turning back around.

I looked around, the skyscrapers towered above, ready to cave in from the bottom.

"I don't know. This place doesn't look very promising."

Brad sighed, "Nothing ever does these days."

"True."

Then we were all silent, the sound of rain and our own footsteps filling the air.

"You feeling anything yet, Ellie?" Brad said without turning around.

I watched her shrug, "Except for wet, I'm fine."

I managed to laugh, and Brad even let out a small chuckle before saying "Okay" and continuing walking.

"What the hell happened to here anyway?" I asked, looking at Brad, "The entire place is destroyed."

"Well, when the pandemic started, the air force bombed out the entire downtown area, trying to kill as many infected as possible."

"Looks like it worked."

"It did. For a little while."

I raised an eyebrow, "A little while?"

He just shrugged, and we lapsed into silence again.

Then, a loud, inhuman screech came from one of the buildings. It made all of us jump, and Brad raised his gun and looked around the area.

"Ahh, what the hell was that?" Ellie said, the concern in her voice clear.

"Infected. Sounded pretty far away though."

"Are we safe?" I asked.

"For now. Let's just keep going."

We continued walking, until we walked up to a giant, destroyed part of our path.

"There's the capital building." Brad said, pointing towards his right. Sure enough, a building with a giant gold dome was sticking out through the destruction, the dark clouds only making it easier to see.

"I thought you said we aren't going there." Ellie said, looking at him.

"We're not, just thought I would point that out." Then he walked past Ellie and I, heading towards a entrance, which was just a giant hole in the side, into the building we were heading into. As he walked in, he turned on the flashlight that was strapped onto his gun, and flashed it on the inside walls.

"This place should be empty. If there are infected, let's hope they're in the lower stages."

"What are the lower stages?"

"Runners and Stalkers. They're pretty easy to fight, as long as you don't try to take on a whole bunch at once."

"Okay," then I got curious, "What about higher stages?"

"Well, those usually take years to develop."

"What happens?"

"You wouldn't want to know."

"I do though."

He laughed, "Another day, Riley. Just relax."

We all walked in silence after that, just continuing to move throughout the destruction of the building. Nothing happened for a good ten minute, Brad telling Ellie and I to go find any supplies we could find in the old cabinets and drawers of the building. We didn't run into anymore soldiers or infected.

Well, for a while.

Eventually, we stumbled upon an old body, fungus having sprouted all around its outer frame and across its face. Brad cursed when he saw it, and Ellie and I took a step back.

"Jesus," I said, pulling my gun from its holster.

"Clickers, goddammit."

Ellie stared at it, mortified, "Geez...what's wrong with it's face."

Brad pulled the body off of the wall, laying it down on its side, "This," he pointed to the body, "is what years of infection can do to you."

"So what? Is it blind?"

"Sort of. They see using sound."

"Like bats?"

"Like bats. If you hear one clicking, you've got to hide, that's how they spot you."

We walked through a door into another room, and then the building started rumbling, like it was ready to collapse.

"Shit." Ellie said as the entire place shook.

"This whole building feels like it's about to fall apart." Brad said, crouching and going under a toppled file cabinet.

"Why the hell are we in here then?" I asked, my concern being stated through my tone.

"This is the fastest way to the RV point." He responded, entering the next room. The building shook again, and things started to fall and roll down the side that was toppled over.

I could hear Ellie getting nervous, so I walked up to her and grabbed her shoulders.

"Hey. It's okay, everything is going to be fine."

She looked at me and nodded, but I could tell that what I said didn't help.

Brad was trying to open another door, but it was blocked from the opposite side. He motioned for me to help, and together we were able to push the door open. As soon as it did, an old cart that had been blocking it from the other side fell, making a loud crashing sound.

"Shit." Brad said, then he turned around, and he yelled, "Look out!"

I turned around to, only to be tackled by one of those clicker things. It lashed at me, trying desperately to sink it's teeth into my skin. When it failed, it smacked me straight in the face. The thing would have gotten me, if it wasn't for Brad.

He kicked the thing in its side, sending it off of me and onto the ground. Then, as I scrambled away, put his foot on its chest, stuck the barrel of his gun in its face, and fired.

Ellie scrambled straight to me, pulling me up and wrapping her arms tightly around me. I returned the hug eagerly, but was pulling back after only a couple of seconds. "Are you okay?" She said desperately.

I nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine." Then I turned towards Brad, "Thanks, by the way."

"Don't mention it." He started walking, "We should get out of here. If there was one of those guys here, there will be more of them."

Ellie and I didn't argue, and followed.

We entered what looked like a reception area, noticing the desk with couches and chairs lined around the area. Brad shined his flashlight across the walls, finding a wall to tall for us to climb up. That wasn't I was focused on though, I could only focus on the dead body that was hanging limply underneath a railing.

"Yeesh." I said, grimacing, "Sucks to be that guy."

Brad snorted, "Yeah, no kidding."

"How the hell are we going to get up there?" Ellie asked, referring to the ledge that Brad stood by.

He thought for a moment, then turned to me, handing me his rifle.

"What are you doing?" I asked, confusion taking over my thoughts.

"I'm going to boost you up on the ledge. When you get up, search the area for anything." He noticed the confusion on my face, and raised an eyebrow, "What, you never held a rifle before?"

"I have, but," I stuttered, "The ones the soldiers have are nothing like these."

"Yeah, the Ghosts have far better equipment than the Feds and Fireflies combined."

He stood with his back against the wall, cupping his hands by his waist. I walked up to him, stepping into his hands, and he propelled me upwards.

When I got on top of the ledge, I lifted up Brad's rifle and scanned around. Clear, like I expected.

"Anything?" Brad said from below me.

"No. It's clear." I went over to the edge, reaching my hand down. Brad waved Ellie along, and I helped her get up. Getting Brad was harder, but it took no longer than getting Ellie up.

I was about to hand Brad his rifle, but footsteps started heading towards us from the hallway, and fast.

"Clickers?" I said, turning to Brad.

"Oh shit. Go, hide." He said, jogging forward.

We all ran into the next room, ducking behind a counter while the clicker entered the room. As it stumbled in, it actually looked over the counter where we were all crouched. Ellie and I flinched silently, but Brad didn't move a muscle. Instead, he grabbed an old bottle, and flung it away from where we were. As it made impact with one of the shelves, the clicker let out a terrifying screech, and stumbled out towards where the bottle had landed.

Brad started moving, staying crouched and moving slowly. I could see his magnum sitting in his hands, he had it aiming straight ahead of him.

As we weaved around the shelves, the clicker continued to stalk around the rooms, lashing out at the air constantly. Brad continued to throw bottles around to distract it, so we never had to worry about it catching us.

"Over the scaffolding," Brad whispered, "That's our way out."

He led us to the exit, waving me and Ellie up first, then climbing up himself.

"I think that's it." Brad said, turning towards Ellie and I, "You two okay?"

"Other than freaked out, I'm fine." I said, finally returning Brad's rifle to him.

"What about you?" Brad said to Ellie, "It's been hours since you were bitten, you feeling anything?"

Ellie shook her head, "No."

Brad took his mask off, placing it in his back pocket, a look of curiosity spread all over his face.

"You okay?" I asked him, taking a step towards him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Then he vaulted over the railing of the stairs, muttering "Give me a second" and pulling out a desk that had been blocking the small entryway to the stairs.

"Here you go." He said, allowing me and Ellie to go ahead.

When Brad hopped down, I motioned towards the stairway.

"It's blocked," I said, "Should we go back up?"

Brad shook his head, and then walked towards the broken window, stepping over the edge onto a hanging platform outside of the window.

"Hope you aren't afraid of heights." He said, "Just don't look down and you'll be fine."

"Are fucking serious?" Ellie said, nervousness starting to gather in her voice.

"Hey," I said, walking up to her, "It'll be okay. I'll be right behind you."

She looked at me, hesitant to go out there. Eventually, she nodded, and vaulted over the edge onto the platform, me right behind her.

"Glad you made it," Brad said, already below us, "There's an entrance over here, come on."

"Just don't look down." I heard Ellie whisper, "Just don't look down."

We made it to the entrance back into the building, and as soon as we walked in, you could here the sound of clickers from below.

"Infected," Brad said, referring to the whimpering that went along with the clicking. He walked towards an edge that went down, turning around, "Stay with Ellie, I'll go clear them out." He didn't let me say anything before he was over the edge.

And so Ellie and I were left alone.

...

We hadn't talked since we were alone after I yelled at Brad. It had only been about an hour since then, but it felt like ages ago.

...

She still hasn't told me why she had cried during that conversation.

If there was anytime to ask, it was now.

I walked up to her, "Hey, so," I was stuttering, again, "You never told me why you uh...you know."

"What?" She said. I'm so fucking stupid.

"You never told me why you started crying, back at the outskirts."

She looked at me for a little, then shifted her eyesight downward when she responded, "Well, I was just thinking."

"About?"

Her cheeks turned red, and then she responded, "You."

I raised an eyebrow, "What about me?"

"Well-" She was cut off by screaming, and then gunshots started ringing out. Four shots went off, and after that, four bodies hit the ground underneath us.

Brad called up to us, "It's clear. You two can come down now."

I sighed, disappointed. I waved Ellie along, heading towards the same place Brad had went.

"We'll talk later." I muttered, not even bothering to look at her.

When I got down, Brad was standing at an old desk, staring at the ground. Bodies lay dead on the ground around him, blood flowing from out of there heads.

"Hit 'em right between the eyes," He said, smirking, "Not that I mean to brag or anything."

Once again, I didn't believe what he was saying. So, I rolled all of the bodies on their backs, and sure enough, bullet holes were located right in between the eyes of each runner, the clicker you just had a hole in what was once its face. I was in disbelief, my mouth agape as I looked at the bodies.

"How did you-?" I started to ask, but I couldn't find the words to do it. Ellie walked over next to me, the same expression on her face.

"Shit, Brad." She said, and that caused Brad to start laughing.

"Hold your applause," He said, "We still got to keep moving."

And with that, we left.

...

You know, I was starting to like Brad a little better. I thought he would be an asshole, like Marlene had said all of the Ghosts were. But he was actually pretty cool, and overall a nice guy.

Who knows. Maybe we'll be friends one day.

* * *

_**(Brad)**_

_**3 Hours Later**_

"Stalker 5-4, are you there? Brad, do you copy?" Martinez said through my radio.

I was startled by the words, I hadn't even realized my radio was on. Ellie and Riley were sitting across the room from me, both asleep, Riley had her arms wrapped around Ellie.

We had stopped after we got out of the skyscraper, having to sneak around a whole pack of clickers just to get out. I told the girls to get some rest when we had gotten out, and they took no hesitation in doing that. I almost dozed off myself, until my radio went off.

"Copy. Yeah, I'm here."

"Good. You guys doing alright?"

I looked at the girls, then responded, "Yeah. We're okay."

"Copy. I've got some bad news for you."

I tensed, "What is it?"

"Reports are just now coming in." I heard him sigh, "Milwaukee got overrun an hour ago. Command wants you and the H.V.I at the R.V point ASAP."

Shit.

An entire Q.Z. got overrun.

That was rare, especially for the Ghosts. Since the outbreak, Task Force: STALKER has only lost two quarantine zones, which were Salt Lake City and Pittsburgh, and those were years ago.

I was in shock, as expected, and just stared out into blank space.

...

How?

...

How did this happen? Task Force: STALKER has the best equipment, the best training, and the best soldiers in the entire country. How could they have been overrun so easily?

Whatever, I'll find out later.

"Oh shit," was all I could muster up, then curiosity took me over again, "Where there any survivors?"

Martinez didn't respond for a second, and when he did, he was upset, "Negative."

...

No way.

...

Not one person survived.

Not a _single _living person.

...

Fuck.

...

...

No.

I shook my head. I couldn't blame this on myself.

I did the same thing when the Q.Z. got attacked, and when Watts died. I couldn't do it again.

I told Martinez I would be at the R.V point in about half an hour, then turned my radio off. After that, I walked over towards the girls, shaking Riley's shoulder to wake her up.

She looked at me with an annoyed look, "What is it?"

I shrugged, "Just thought we should get moving. We're almost there."

She stared at me, irritated, but she eventually started to wake Ellie up.

"How long were we out?" She asked, starting to stand up.

"About three hours."

"Why didn't you wake us sooner?"

"Thought you could use your sleep. You guys deserved it."

"Well. I guess I can thank you on that."

I laughed, "Don't mention it."

Ellie stood up then, not speaking. Her features showed that she was still tired, and that made me laugh even more.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty." I said jokingly. She narrowed her eyebrows at me, and that only made me laugh harder. Riley even managed to escape a chuckle.

"Fuck you guys." Ellie said, putting her backpack on.

"Oh, lighten up." I said, "Be happy you haven't turned yet." I stopped, but then spoke up again, "Speaking of which, are you feeling anything?"

She shook her head, "No. Just tired as hell."

I nodded, but my mind was racing.

...

_It's been six hours, and she hasn't shown any signs._

_Not even a small cough._

...

Holy shit.

This could mean something.

Something big.

* * *

_**Present Day**_

"I should have said something right then and there." I said.

For the past hour, I had been telling the mystery people about what had happened after Ellie, Riley, and I had left the mall. They questioned me constantly, asking me about things that happened that I would rather not talk about right now. Overall, it sucked. But you could understand that.

"Why didn't you?" The man asked.

"Well, I wasn't sure at the time. I still knew the max time it takes to turn after you get infected is two days. Sure, she hadn't shown signs after six hours, but that didn't mean she was immune."

"Well, what the hell did you think it meant?"

"Hey, fuck you. I can't see into the goddamn future."

The man started speaking, but his words were muffled by the numbers in my head.

...

_40, 75, _What the fuck do they mean?

...

_0, 0, 111, _Why can't they just go away?

...

_88, 33, _Goddammit, make them fucking stop!

...

"Brad!" The man screamed, his voice full of anger.

"What? What is it?"

"I asked you a question. Did you even think about the fact that Ellie may have been immune?"

Right. Ellie.

I shook my head, "No. I did not."

"Why?"

"I didn't want to rush to conclusions."

"Well, maybe you should have thought that through."

The numbers started to return, and this time I spoke aloud, "I can't get these fucking numbers out of my head!"

* * *

_**Three Weeks Earlier**_

"Which way are we going?" Riley said, turning around and looking at me.

"Uh...the R.V. point is in this direction." I said, pointing down an alley ahead of us, the path being blocked by a truck.

"How do we get over this truck?" Ellie asked this time.

"Just look around, see if you could find anything." I said, heading over into an old building. Sure enough, there were infected inside, and they luckily hadn't heard us.

"Shit," I said, putting one of my fingers up to my lips towards Ellie and Riley, telling them to stay quiet. They nodded, and I stalked forward, taking out the infected that were inside.

"They're recently infected. These soldiers must have just turned."

"What does that mean?" Riley asked.

"It means there must be more in the area. We gotta go. Now."

"You know," Ellie said, "You're pretty good at this."

"Good at what?" I asked, pulling an old cart outside towards the truck.

"You know, with the infected and shit. Plus, I haven't seen anybody sneak around tons of soldiers just as easy as you did."

I smiled, "Well, I can't say I've been doing shit like that for a while. Most of the time, it's just dumb luck."

"So?"

"So, that means it's gonna run out soon."

"Is that bad?"

"Well, it will be later."

I managed to push the cart on to the side of the truck, and I climbed up on top. When I was sure it was clear, I motioned Ellie and Riley after me.

"Here we go," I said, and I walked up towards an old garage door, a chain that opened it on the side.

"After we get in here, we should be good." I started to open the door, pulling the chain down. It made a ton of noise, but we needed to get through somehow.

Unfortunately, Riley heard something and told me to stop.

"I don't hear anything." I said, but she shushed me.

"Shit, they're coming." Ellie said, and I started to speed up. When it was open enough, the girls climbed under the door. Riley held it open so I could crawl under. As I did, an infected grabbed my ankle, just as I had gotten inside.

"Drop it!" I yelled, and Riley let go of the door, the runner being left outside.

They pounded against the door, making it crash violently. When it stopped, Ellie looked down at my feet.

"You got something on your shoe," She said, and sure enough, the runner's hand was still holding onto my foot. I shook it off, Riley muttering "Gross" as we turned and looked for an exit.

We walked around the building we entered, searching throughout the several rooms that were scattered around. Eventually, we found a ledge that went up into more wreckage.

"Well I'll be damned." I said, shining my flashlight over the walls.

"What is this place?" Riley asked.

"It's a museum. Some of the things in here are hundreds of years old."

"Seriously?" Ellie asked.

"Yep."

"Wow." She spoke again, her eyes in awe of everything.

We continued looking for an exit, searching every room that wasn't blocked off from debris. Eventually, Riley found a passageway that led around. The path was blocked off, but there was a piece of wood that could be lifted up and opened up the path. Riley volunteered to do it, allowing me to crawl through to the other side.

I searched the area on the other side, checking for infected. "It's clear," I said, "Come on, Ellie," and Ellie crawled out from the small passageway. As soon as she reached the other side, Riley lost her grip on the board holding up the debris, and it all crashed on to the ground with a very loud sound.

"Fuck!" I screamed, "Riley, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," She said, "I'll work my way around to you."

Soon after that, I heard the sound of clickers heading straight towards Ellie and I.

"Shit, they're here! Ellie, run!"

She didn't hesitate one bit, and we took off through the halls of the museum.

* * *

_**(Riley)**_

Only two things were on my mind after everything that had just happened.

One: Ellie.

And two, surprisingly: Brad.

I was hopeful that the clickers didn't get to them, but I doubted that they did. Brad was a good soldier, and he probably would have made sure Ellie stayed back and didn't try to get herself killed.

I'm pretty sure that's what he would've done. I mean, if I were him, that's what I would do. Although, Brad isn't really as close to Ellie as I am.

Whatever. I just hoped that they were safe.

After they took off, I found myself sneaking throughout the hallways of the old museum, clicker sounds filling through every room.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't terrified, not just for Ellie and Brad, but for myself.

Hey, I need to stay alive too.

Anyway, getting around the clickers was not much of a problem, they basically will go towards any sound you make that is away from you. I headed up a flight of stairs, finding a runner pounding against a door. On the other side, you could very faintly hear screaming from a person.

I snuck up behind the runner and, without making another sound, I plunged my knife into its throat.

"Ellie, stay back!" I heard Brad yell from the other side, then a gunshot went off. I had to help them, and fast, so I busted the door open, finding Brad shoving an infected off of him, then stepping forward, firing a round into its skull.

He noticed me to his left, "Never thought I would be this glad to see you," He said, breathing heavily.

"I could say the same for you." I responded.

Then, we heard Ellie yell from the next room, "Guys, get in here!"

"Ah fuck." Brad said, and he ran into the next room. I was immediately running with him, and Ellie was there, a runner struggling to get her.

Immediately, I ran up towards them, shoving the runner off of her, then shooting it in the head twice.

"Thanks," Ellie said, checking me up and down frantically.

"No problem," I responded.

We didn't have time to say anything else, 'cause as soon as that was over, more runners were running straight towards us.

Brad and I fired at all the infected, but they just kept on coming. Eventually, Brad's rifle started clicking, so he threw that aside and pulled his magnum out of its holster.

But, soon after that, we were both out of ammo, "Fuck!" Brad yelled, putting his magnum away.

"What the hell do we do now?" I said.

"You still got your fist-" He started, but he didn't get to finish before automatic fire rang out from the opposite side of the room we were in. Instinctively, all of us ducked behind cover, until the fire stopped.

"Clear!" One voice yelled out, and the sound of magazines hitting the ground filled the room. I was about to speak, but Brad began walking out from behind our cover.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I whispered, but he continued to walk out.

After that, I could only make out some of the words that Brad and the other soldiers were saying. I didn't come out from where I was, only sitting there behind cover.

Eventually, Brad called out, "Hey Riley, come on out."

I didn't want to, of course. But then again, did I really have a choice?

Brad called out again, "Riley, come on."

Eventually, I stood up, turning around to see Brad and Ellie standing with three other soldiers. They wore similar gear and held similar weapons that Brad had, and they all bore masks over their faces.

"What the hell were you waiting for?" Brad said first, taking a few steps towards me.

I shrugged, not responding to his question. Ellie then walked up next to me, standing on my right side.

"You okay?" She asked, her voice low.

"I'm fine. You?"

"Same."

"Ellie, Riley," Brad said, and we both looked at him, "You ready to go?"

"Go where?"

"Well we didn't come all the way here just for nothing, now did we?"

Oh, right.

We came here to meet up with other Ghosts. After everything that had happened, I had forgotten about why were here.

To their quarantine zone.

My thoughts were interrupted by one of the other soldiers speaking.

"What the hell is that?" He said, staring at Ellie's arm.

Silent. If there was one word to describe Brad, Ellie, and I after he had said that, silent would be that.

He looked up at Brad, "Brad?"

Brad looked up, then started leading him away, "We need to talk." He said, and him and the other soldiers walked away.

"Do you think he's going to tell them?" Ellie said, grabbing my hand in hers.

I shrugged, "I don't see why he wouldn't."

Ellie didn't respond, only leaning against the wall next to me.

We were silent, but my mind was racing.

...

_What happens next?_

_What will they do to us? To Ellie?_

_What will happen to me?_

_..._

Guess I'll find out.

* * *

_**(Brad)**_

"What do you mean she's shown no signs?" Martinez said, turning around and facing me.

I shrugged, "Exactly what I mean, it's been over six hours since she was bitten. If she was infected, she would've started to turn hours ago."

"What difference does it make?" Baker said, "She might take the max time to turn anyway."

"The difference is that she, like I said earlier, would've started turning earlier, even if she takes the max amount of time."

"Well," Martinez started, "What do you want to do? This is your mission, so it's your call."

I looked down, I didn't really have a plan after we got here. I was hoping that when we met up with the other Ghosts, whoever was in charge would take charge and we would head back to the zone.

"Well," I said, hesitating, "I thought we could take them back to the zone and get what intel we could out of 'em."

"You want to bring an infected girl inside the walls?" Baker asked, he was shocked, "Are you crazy?"

"No, I'm not. But I don't see any other option."

"We could just kill 'em, at least the infected one."

I shook my head immediately, "No, we need them both back alive."

"And risk getting people infected?"

"Hey, it's not my fault that she got bit." Baker raised an eyebrow, "Okay, maybe it is a little, but we don't have a choice."

Baker shook his head, then turned to Martinez, "Your call, man."

Martinez said nothing, just staring down at the ground. Eventually, he looked up at all of us.

"Here's what we're going to do." He started, "We're going to bring them back to the zone, have the infected one locked up. We can get the intel we need out of-," He turned to me, "What was her name?"

"Riley. The one that got bit is Ellie."

"Right. We get the intel from Riley, and at the same time, we have Ellie locked up tight."

"They're not gonna like that."

"Which is why we're not going to tell them."

"What would we do with Riley after that?" He was starting to speak again, but I stopped him, "And do not say we kill her."

"I wasn't going to." He said, getting a little pissed, "I don't know what we do after that. That decision is up to Merrick."

Baker thought about Martinez's plan for a second, then nodded, "Okay."

"Fine then. Brad, go tell the girls we're leaving. The Humvees are only a five minute walk from here."

I nodded, turning back to get Ellie and Riley. I found them leaning against the wall, their hands entwined.

"Hey," I said as I walked up to them, "We're heading out soon. You guys ready?"

Riley nodded, and she walked over to me. "Did you tell them?"

"Tell them what?"

"About Ellie?"

I hesitated, but I nodded, "I had too. If I didn't they would have just killed all of us."

"Why you? You're one of theirs aren't you?"

I nodded, "Yes, I am. But they would've charged me with treason, and most likely would have me executed."

"Oh." Was all she could say after that.

Eventually, I waved the two of them along behind me, heading towards all of the other Ghosts were. When we met back up with them, two Humvees were parked down the street.

"Hey, just so you know," I whispered to Baker, "If you lay a hand on either one of those two," I nodded towards Ellie and Riley, "you and Watts will be sharing a grave."

He stared at me wide eyed, and I walked faster so he couldn't say anything back to me.

Yes, I threatened one of my friends over two people I had just met. Don't like it, well fuck off.

Soon, too soon, we reached the Humvees. Martinez had Baker and the other Ghost(I didn't know his name yet) in one Humvee, while he had me drive back with Ellie and Riley. When I questioned that, he just told me he didn't trust anybody else to stay with the girls. I didn't object to that, so we all just climbed in and started to drive off.

"So," Ellie said, after we had been driving for about ten minutes, "How are things at this place?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, the people, conditions, anything you can tell me."

"Well, some people are still assholes. But overall, we have food, water, protection, that's all you need."

"Are all of the soldiers assholes? Excluding you."

I chuckled, "Thanks, but yeah, some of them are dicks. Most are like that because all they do is stare down in one direction the entire day."

Riley scoffed, "What are they? Guards?"

"Exactly. They go sit on a tower with a loaded gun and it never gets shot. Kind of a waste of time if you ask me."

We arrived faster than I had wanted to, and we drove through the walls into the quarantine zone. There were soldiers everywhere, most of them returning from scouting the outside the walls. Despite that though, there was way too many of them to be considered normal.

"Somethings off," I said, hoping that Ellie and Riley didn't hear.

Unfortunately, Riley did, "What is it?"

"There shouldn't be this many soldiers." I contacted Martinez, "Martinez, what the hell is going on? There's at least 2 dozen men at one wall. Can you explain that to me?"

"Remember what I told you. Milwaukee was overrun earlier today. Since then, security has been on high alert at all times."

"That doesn't explain much."

"It doesn't matter, not like it affects you any."

"It does, considering the fact that the Fireflies haven't shown up in almost two weeks."

He didn't respond, because we had both stopped in front of the command center. Immediately, I got out, telling Ellie and Riley to wait while I went to talk to Merrick.

"I'll be back soon. Just sit tight for now."

"Whatever you say." Riley said, and I shut the door.

"So you're saying that Milwaukee got overrun this morning?" I asked Martinez.

"Yeah. Nobody expected it to happen."

"Well obviously. Nobody would have, considering the fact that we've only lost two in twenty years."

"Three." He corrected me.

"Whatever." I responded, and we arrived at the top floor where Merrick and Elias were. They turned towards us when we entered, walking over to the table and standing at the end.

"The H.V.I here?" Elias asked me.

I nodded, "Just outside. I told them to wait until I talked to you two."

"Talk to us about what?"

"About what we're going to do about Ellie."

"What happened to Ellie?" He asked, and I stood there in shock.

_Shit._

_Merrick didn't tell him._

I was going to speak again but then I heard yelling coming from the open window.

...

"Shit." I said, and I ran out of the building.

...

Why do I do things like this?

* * *

When I arrived outside, a crowd had gathered around one soldier holding Ellie by her arm, the bandage around her arm having been torn off. Riley was a few feet away, two other soldiers holding her by both of her arms.

"What the fuck is going on?" I said to somebody nearby.

"Someone tried to sneak an infected girl inside the walls."

"What the hell are those soldiers doing though?"

"They were going to kill 'em both. Guess not, because only one of them is infected.

_Oh goddammit._

I rushed forward pushing myself through the mass of people. When I arrived at the center, Ellie had a gun to her head.

Instinctively, I raised my rifle, yelling "Stop!"

Then everybody's eyes were on me. And by everyone, I literally mean everyone.

"Back away from her, now." I ordered, aiming at the soldier's head.

"Why? You trying to get us all killed."

I started walking forward, but he just pressed the barrel of his pistol tighter to Ellie's head.

"Back away, kid." He said, "I will shoot her."

"You don't want to do this."

"I said, back away!"

Then I fired, hitting him straight in his leg. Then I ran at him, butting him the head with the stock.

"Asshole." I whispered, then I turned around, finding five men pointing at me, including Martinez and Baker.

"Ah fuck." I said, grabbing my rifle.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Ellie whispered from behind me.

"Hey, be glad you're still alive." I said, and I began to raise my rifle again.

"So this is what its come down to, huh?" I said, "What are you going to do, shoot one of your own soldiers?"

Nobody spoke, until Elias walked out in the middle of the crowd.

"What the hell are you doing, Brad?!" He said, the anger very clear in his voice.

"What you sent me to do."

"What?"

"You told me to protect these two at all costs. I did that, I brought them back alive. But, some of your assholes come and try and kill a young girl who has shown not a single sign of infection since she was bitten."

I continued, "You know, I heard that Ghosts don't stop until there mission is complete."

"You mission is complete. The girls are here and they're fine."

I shook my head, "No. It's not."

"I was supposed to protect these two from everyone and everything that comes near them. Not only does that include infected, Fireflies, and the Feds."

I aimed at the soldier who were aiming at me, "That includes you."

He was shocked by what I said, but he could tell by my face that I was not messing around.

He motioned to the soldiers behind him, "Stand down." Then he turned to me, "You too."

I smiled, "With pleasure." And the rifle dropped to my side.

The crowd dispersed, and Riley ran up towards Ellie and I.

"What the hell was that about?" She asked me.

I smiled, "Nothing. I was just doing what was right."

* * *

**Yeah, that happened.**

**Please leave a review, you guys are the best.**

**-Broncozfan623**


	7. New Hostiles

**Quick A/N: This chapter contains hostility towards several European nations. Please know that I have no hatred towards anyone outside of the United States, and that I have respect for all of the people in these countries.**

**Chapter also contains lot's of military combat. Some scenes may contain blood and gore, so discretion is advised.**

**(The teaser I put up is the beginning of the chapter, just making that clear. Also, hyphenated parentheses are notes that I put in.)  
**

* * *

**_(Brad)_  
**

Not long, a few hours actually, after the little skirmish with me and all the other Ghosts, Elias had Ellie locked up in a room by herself. Riley practically fought with him about that, but eventually she was convinced the we couldn't take any chances of anybody getting hurt.

Until then, Ellie would be under constant surveillance twenty-four seven. Merrick denied my request to help with the task, but he said that if anything happened, I would be the first to respond.

Unfortunately, not everything was good. There was still me shooting one of our soldiers, and pulling a gun on four other armed men, including my own squadmates. Surely they would've punished for doing that, it was treason.

And that's where we are now.

Just me sitting in a chair, silent, while five other men screamed back and forth at each other, all of them disagreeing over what to do with me.

Elias, Merrick, and five other high ranking officers, two of which I learned were Elias' sons, had gathered in the command center a little bit after everything that had happened. The talks were quiet and peaceful at first, but about a half hour in, somebody said something, and then everything went to hell.

"Alright, everybody quiet!" Merrick screamed, and the yelling finally stopped. Everybody had turned to look at him, including me.

Merrick continued after that, "Now, instead of screaming like a bunch of animals, why don't we go through what you all think one at a time, alright?"

Nobody responded, so Merrick took that as an okay.

"Good," Then he gestured towards one of the officers there, his name I did not know, "You start, Hesh."

Hesh started, "Well, I have been operating outside of the city for quite some time, so I don't know who this kid is or what he's done."

He didn't stop, "But, what I do know that shooting one of your own fellow soldiers and turning on others, is insane and treasonous. I mean, how the hell do we know this guy isn't a Firefly spy?"

"Keep going."

"I guess I'm saying that this guy needs to be punished, and demoting him wouldn't be enough."

"And how will that help?"

"Make him less important than he already is."

I spoke up, "Thanks a lot, asshole."

"Shut up." Merrick said, but I just shrugged at him.

"You next, Ajax."

Ajax shifted in his seat, then began "You might think I'm crazy about this, but I think what he did was a good think."

"How?"

"Well, unlike Hesh, I have been operating in the area for a while, and I have seen what this kid can do." He laughed, "He takes the Ghost code to heart, and I like that."

"What does that have to do with this?" Hesh asked.

"Well, Ghosts don't stop until they complete their mission. His job was to get those two H.V.I here for questioning."

"Which he did," Hesh interrupted.

"Yes, but he was also told to protect them from anyone and anything."

"That doesn't mean he can just go and shoot one of his own soldiers," Hesh interrupted again.

"Let him finish, Hesh." Merrick said.

"Thank you. Like I said, he had to protect them from anyone and anything. The soldier he shot tried to kill one of the H.V.I, so he stopped him from doing that."

He continued, "All I'm saying is that Brad was just doing what he was ordered to do, even if it meant shooting one of his fellow soldiers."

Elias spoke now, "So you're saying he shouldn't be punished?"

Ajax nodded, "Yes."

I sighed heavily, relieved that somebody was actually on my side through all of this shit.

Merrick moved on, "Okay. What about you Logan and Keegan?"

The man addressed to as Keegan shrugged, "Well, I agree with Ajax. I don't think Brad should be punished."

Logan nodded, "Same here."

Elias spoke up then, "Then it's settled. Brad will not be punished for the acts he committed earlier today." He stood up then, "Now, I have a interrogation that I need to do."

I sat straight up when he said that.

...

Oh right.

Riley hadn't been bitten. Or locked into a cell that was guarded twenty-four seven.

She was still being interrogated.

It made me nervous all of the sudden.

...

What are they going to her after?

What if she does something bad, then gets herself killed?

...

Fuck. I can't let that happen.

By the time I could gather what I was about to do, Hesh was shaking my shoulder.

"Hey, kid." He said, looking down at me.

"What do you want?" I said, not forgetting about what he told Merrick and Elias.

"Just thought I would say, well, you got lucky."

He started walking away, but I spoke just before he left.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

He yelled back to me, "Just know you got lucky, and that luck of yours is going to run out soon."

...

That left me silent.

What did he mean by that?

What's going to happen? And when?

...

"Whatever." I said to myself, and I walked out of the room, heading out of the command center and towards my apartment. Nobody acknowledged me as I walked, and at the time, I didn't want anybody to. I was too tired and worn out after everything.

So when I arrived at my apartment, I locked the door, went into the bedroom, and flopped down onto my bed. Not even five minutes later, I was asleep. Without a single thought in my mind.

* * *

**_(Riley)_**

You want a description of what happened to me.

Well, let me start with they locked me inside some sort of interrogation room. The room was empty, apart for a small table and two chairs. One of the chairs seemed to have blood stains on the floor next to it.

Not only that, but they took my gun and backpack.

You think things couldn't get any worse, right?

Wrong.

I was in there, without food or water, for probably three hours. I ended up falling asleep, my back against the wall, facing the doorway that came in. I woke up when it finally opened up.

Two men walked inside, one armed and one not. The armed one was masked, much like most of the other soldiers I had seen there. The unarmed one, on the other hand, was not masked. He was old, probably in his early fifties, and his hair was grey. It took me a couple of seconds to figure out who he was.

He was Brad's commander. The leader of the Ghosts.

I stood up then, waiting for one of them to say something. Eventually, the older man spoke.

"Sit down," He said, motioning towards the chair that was closest to me. I hesitated, but complied.

"I don't want any trouble," He began, "So if you just cooperate and give us what we want, we'll guarantee your safety."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, the Fireflies would be after you if you gave us anything. Most likely would try to kill you."

I flinched at the thought of that, and the man noticed, "Sorry."

I shook my head, "It's okay," then I took a deep breath, "What do you all want, exactly?"

"Anything you can give us would be helpful." He replied.

"Okay."

And with that, I began.

"For starters, they're holed up on the other side of the city. There HQ is tiny, with few soldiers and no civilians. The Feds have been hitting them hard for a few weeks now, so their numbers haven't been going up."

"What about infected?"

"Infected have been cleared out in the area."

"And how do you know all of this?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be here right now, would I?"

He laughed, "True."

Then his face was serious again, "What about their equipment? Weapons, ammo, vehicles, where do they get them from?"

"I'm not sure, most of it they get from smugglers. The rest I think is scavenged from all the Feds and Ghosts they kill."

"Doesn't surprise me," he said, then he asked, "Do they have any other places of operation in the city, other than the HQ across the city?"

I shrugged, "I'm not sure."

Then I remembered.

...

"Actually, there's one."

"Where?"

"Somewhere in the northern part of the city. It's a warehouse, a big one, there's a ton of stuff there, and it's heavily guarded."

His face was in disbelief, "You said it's in the northern part of the city?"

I nodded, "Yes."

"Alright then," he began to stand, "That's all we'll need, for now."

I frowned, and he laughed, "Relax, I'm not going to have you sit in here for a day." He looked towards the armed guard, "Take her somewhere more comfortable."

"Yes sir," He said, then he turned to me, "Follow me."

I didn't hesitate to comply.

We walked for about five minutes, eventually he led me to an apartment building. I looked at him with a confused look.

"What is this place?"

"Civilian housing. Anybody who works inside the quarantine zone and is not a soldier stays here."

"So I'm just a civilian now?"

He shrugged, "Pretty much. It's not fun, trust me."

"Were you a civilian once?"

"Yeah, my dad was a Ghost."

"What happened to him?"

He hesitated, "He went M.I.A three months ago. Nobody's heard from him since."

"I'm sorry." I said. I felt really bad for him, he hasn't seen his dad for three months. Hell, he doesn't even know if he's still alive.

"You can stay in this one," he said, standing next to a door, "Yes, it's unoccupied."

"Thanks." I said, walking through the door, shutting it behind me.

I won't go into detail about what it was like on the inside, because as soon as I got in, I passed out.

...

I didn't even hear the sound of soldiers yelling and helicopters whirring their blades.

And to be honest, I didn't care.

This was their war, not mine.

* * *

_**"New Hostiles"**_

**July 2, 2033, 13:39:25**

**Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America**

**PFC Brad Johnston, Task Force: STALKER**

**Status: Alive**

* * *

**Loadout (All):**

**Primary****:**_ SA-805 Assault Rifle w/ ACOG_

**Secondary(Jackson)****:** _MK32 Grenade Launcher_

**Sidearm(Brad):** _.44 Magnum Handgun_

**Sidearm(Rest)****:** _P226 Handgun_

* * *

"Everyone load up. Let's go, Let's go!" Somebody was yelling, and that made me get my gear together even quicker. Martinez, Baker, and the other guy in my squad, who I had learned his name was Jackson, we're all doing what everybody else was doing: loading our guns and heading out to the choppers outside.

"Where the hell are we going that they're sending an entire company out?" Baker yelled, his voice barely audible over all the yelling.

"Some place in the Northern part of the city," Martinez said, "One of the girls Brad brought in said the Fireflies have an old warehouse up there, apparently it's heavily guarded."

"Must be important." Jackson said.

"We're about to find out." Martinez said, grabbing his rifle and jogging out of the armory. I followed him shortly after, along with Baker and Jackson.

Martinez jogged up to another soldier, and he pointed us towards which chopper we were flying in. As soon as we were all in, Martinez explained to us what we were going to be doing.

"We're supposed to be part of the team that's going to be assaulting the front of the warehouse, along with Stalkers 3. We'll land about half a klick out, and then move in on foot."

"Will we encounter any resistance?" I asked.

"Yes."

"What do you think is even there?"

"Who knows. Maybe it's empty."

"I hope not. What the fuck was the point of all this if the place is empty?" Baker said.

"Thirty seconds to L.Z." We heard the pilot say through our radios. We piled next to the exits, Martinez and I on one side, with Baker and Jackson on the other.

Soon, the chopper landed in a clear spot of grass, and we all jumped out, guns up and aimed forward. As soon as we were all on the ground, the chopper took off again.

"We'll maintain air contact," The pilot said through the radio, "Be careful out there."

"Roger that." Martinez said, then he motioned one of his hands forward, "The warehouse is this way. Let's move."

We took off in the direction Martinez pointed, and in no time, we were with another Ghost squad.

"You Stalker 5?" The squad leader asked. When Martinez nodded, he continued, "We just got word from one of the choppers. The front entrance is completely unprotected."

Martinez's eyes widened in surprise, "Seriously?"

"Yeah. Not only that, there's a foreign flag flying over it."

"Impossible," I said, "Trade lines were cut off when the outbreak started."

"You think I'm lying?"

"Never said you were."

"Then follow us, we'll show you."

They ran off, heading in the same direction we were originally, us right on their heels. As we ran, Martinez said to me, "Looks like your friend had bad intel." I ignored him.

Eventually, we reached the warehouse, and sure enough, a blue flag with stars in a circle in the middle was flying just outside.

"What did I tell you?" The other squad leader said, but I wasn't listening.

I was too focused on the flag.

...

It looked...familiar.

...

Then I remembered.

Those flags were all over the place in London. They were in front of nearly every single building on the base I had trained in.

...

The European Union. That was what they were called.

"Guys," I said, "That's the EU."

"What the fuck is the EU?" Baker said.

"The European Union. It's a union of some of the most powerful nations in Europe."

"Like who?"

"The United Kingdom, France, Germany, those guys."

"Shit. We're about to assault a warehouse of some of the most powerful people on Earth?" Jackson said.

I shrugged, "Basically."

"That's bullshit!"

"What the hell are they doing in our country?"

"If I knew I would tell you."

Just then, a rocket could be seen firing out from the front of the warehouse, hitting one of our choppers that was in the air. It spun violently, fire and smoke spewing out of its top rotors. Eventually it crashed into the side of an old building, the entire thing engulfed in flames.

"Holy shit! What the hell?!" Baker yelled, him being in more shock than the rest of us.

"What the fuck is going on-" one guy started saying, but he was cut off when bullets started whizzing by our heads. Instinctively, all of us ducked down, bullets hitting the walls of buildings behind us.

"Return fire!" Martinez yelled, standing back up and unloading rounds out of his gun, everybody else doing basically the same thing. I contacted command first thing.

"Command, this is Stalker 5-4. We're taking heavy fire from enemy forces outside of the warehouse. Does anyone read?"

"Brad, it's Elias. What the hell is happening out there?"

I was about to tell him about our situation, but before I could, one of the soldiers with us yelled, "Grenade!". Most of us dove away, but one guy jumped on top of it, defending the rest of us from the explosion. When the grenade went off, his body went limp, indicating he was dead.

"Man down!" One soldier said, then the rest of them continued shooting at the enemy. I continued talking with Elias.

"We're taking heavy fire from the front of the warehouse. These guys aren't going to let us in without a fight."

"I didn't expect the Fireflies t-,"

"It's not the Fireflies, sir." I interrupted.

"Come again, you're breaking up."

"Sir, it's not the Fireflies. It's the EU."

Elias didn't respond, as if he was in total shock, "Brad, did you just say the E.U?"

"Yes sir, it's the European Union."

A bullet whizzed above my head, and that's when I decided that I needed to get back in the fight. So I turned my radio off, then started shooting.

Both sides exchanged gun fire for a good two minutes, until Martinez ducked down once again, pulling me and Jackson with him.

"We have to get to that warehouse," He started, "I want you and Jackson to move up and try to rush these guys. We can cover you."

"We can do that." I looked at Jackson, "You up for it?"

"Hell yeah."

I nodded, and I wasted no time vaulting over our cover and running out, Jackson right behind me. We continued to shoot, even though Martinez said they would give us covering fire. It didn't take us long too get to their defensive line, and when we did, they were completely unprepared. Jackson and I unloaded entire mags into the soldiers, about ten to twelve of them.

"Martinez, it's clear. Bring up the rest of the team."

"Copy that. Good job." Although our area was now clear, gunfire could still be heard from the other Ghosts and EU soldiers fighting in the distance. Choppers also continued flying over our heads, either firing at the EU soldiers, or dropping off more of our soldiers.

I then looked towards the bodies, focusing on the patches on their arms.

"Let's find out who we're dealing with." I said, rolling one body onto it's back. He had a German flag on his right arm, the EU flag on his left.

"Germany." Jackson said, "Weren't those the first guys to abandon the US when the outbreak started?"

I sighed, then stood up, "Yeah, they were." We checked the rest of the bodies, and coincidentally, they we're all German soldiers, all wearing the same uniform and carrying the same weapons.

Martinez and the rest ran up from behind us, the leader of the other squad heading straight for the entrance to the warehouse, while Martinez and Baker walked towards Jackson and I.

"Who are we dealing with?"

"Germans. These guys are young, couldn't be any older than mid-twenties."

"Who cares," Baker said, looking down at some of the bodies "These guys deserved it. Assholes."

He walked away, Jackson following him. I only shook my head at him, muttering, "Fucking asshole."

Martinez noticed my reaction, "Calm done. Let's just get this done."

The other squad opened up the door to the warehouse, entering with guns up. We followed behind them, mimicking their movements.

The entire place was pitch black, the only light coming from our flashlights shining around us.

"I don't like this." Martinez said aloud.

"You're not the only one, soldier." The leader of the other squad said.

"Baker, see if you can find a light switch anywhere."

"On it."

He walked off into the darkness, and then I started speaking.

"I don't get it."

"Get what?"

"If the EU is in America, they have to have a good reason for it. They wouldn't just send some of their youngest soldiers into a country that collapsed years ago because they wanted to."

I continued, "Besides, those weapons they were carrying are old. Standard issue back before the outbreak."

"How the hell do you know that?"

"How do you not?"

Martinez spoke up, "It doesn't matter. They're here, whether we like it or not. Our only focus right now is the mission."

Just as he finished, the whole warehouse lit up around us, exposing weapons and vehicles, some that looked brand new.

"Holy shit." One guy said, in awe of everything.

There were tons of military equipment. A gun rack on one of the walls, ranging from pistols to rocket launchers. The vehicles consisted of Humvees, helicopters, even a fucking tank.

These guys came prepared for anything, and I didn't blame them.

"These guys look like they're ready for a fucking war." Jackson said.

"Well, they dragged themselves right in the middle of one." One guy said.

"Elias, this is Martinez. We're inside the warehouse. You're not gonna believe what's in here."

"Talk to me."

"There's tons of equipment, weapons, ammo, vehicles. There's even a fucking tank here. I'm telling you, this place is a gold mine."

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, more gunfire came from above us, hitting Jackson in the leg. He fell to the ground, crying out in pain.

On instinct, I immediately looked up, gun up and ready to shoot, searching until I found the source of the gunshot. Eventually, I saw a flicker of movement in a room above us, and then went to investigate.

"I got 'em," I said, running up the stairs towards whoever was there. I found the shooter in the room I had seen him in beforehand, sitting on the floor desperately trying to reload his pistol.

"Hands up!" I yelled, pointing my gun straight at him. He frantically dropped his pistol and put his hands up. He started speaking, but in a foreign language I didn't understand.

I walked up to him, grabbed him and pushed him towards the door. He stumbled out, the barrel of my gun pressed tightly against his back. When we reached the bottom of the stairs, I kicked the back of his leg, sending him to the ground. He stayed on the ground with his hands up, still muttering to himself. Two guys from the other squad were trying to help Jackson, but he just shoved them away and kept walking on his own, though his limp was pretty bad. My radio buzzed with chatter, saying that the enemy had been eliminated and the area was secure, but I ignored all of it.

"What do you wanna do with this guy?" I said, standing next to Martinez, but keeping my gun aimed at him. The flag on his arm indicated he was French, unlike the other soldiers we had seen.

Martinez studied him for a moment, then spoke, "Take him away. You and Baker get what you can out of him."

Baker didn't say a word, only grabbing the man, who was now our prisoner, and dragging him away. Martinez and the others walked away, leaving the warehouse to meet with the other Ghosts.

I walked towards Jackson, who was trying to follow Baker, but fell to the ground. I helped him up, holding him.

"You alright?" I said, looking towards his leg. The bullet had gone straight through his leg, not causing any major damage, but he had been bleeding badly.

"I'll be fine," he said, then shaking his head, "Man, this is my first fucking mission to."

"Don't worry about it," I said, walking us forward slowly, "When we get back to base you can get yourself patched up."

"Easy for you to say."

I laughed, and we continued walking forward, trying to catch up to Baker.

* * *

The room was dark, only one small light bulb gave light to the room. Our prisoner was in the middle of the room, Baker standing to my right, and Jackson leaned up against a wall to my left.

Baker had tried getting stuff out of him for about five minutes, but gave up because he couldn't understand him. Eventually, I spoke to the prisoner.

"Listen to me," I said calmly, "Do you speak English?"

He didn't respond, so I asked again, "Not talking won't help you. If you want to live, answer the question. Do you speak English?"

He spoke this time, "Yes."

I looked at Baker, who just shrugged.

"Good. Now," I said, "Tell us, why are you here?"

"I-I really don't know. We were sent here when the outbreak started. Our leaders wanted to maintain a presence in America, just in case things got out of hand with your fighting."

_That explains the old weapons. _I thought to myself, then continued, "How old are you?"

"Twenty-three. I was sent here after I enlisted."

"And you haven't been home since?"

He shook his head, "Unfortunately, I haven't."

_Poor dude_, I thought to myself again, _He hasn't seen his family in five years._

I brushed the thought away, then I got an idea, "Do you know who Task Force 141 is?"

He looked at me with a surprised look, "What?"

"You heard me."

He hesitated, but then nodded.

"Who's Task Force 141?" Jackson asked, beating Baker to the question.

"They're a multinational special operations force in Europe. Only the best of the best got in. They're led Captain John Price."

"And how do you know this?"

I hesitated, but spoke up again, "Because I trained with them."

Jackson was shocked, but he brushed off, asking "So what?"

"I think they could be behind all of this. Many of their leaders were not very fond of America before the outbreak. It's possible that they were the ones that convinced-"

Suddenly the door busted open, and Martinez walked in. Immediately, he shot our prisoner in the head, killing him.

"What the fuck was that for?!" I asked, yelling at him.

"No time to explain. We need to leave right now. Enemy reinforcements are on the way, six miles and closing."

He ran out, while Baker walked over and helped Jackson out. I was right on Martinez's heels, still trying to get answers from him.

"Why the hell did you shoot that guy?" I asked again.

"That dude let out a distress signal right before we entered the warehouse. Apparently, there's more of those guys just outside of Providence, and they're on their way right now. Ghost forces there held them off for as long as they could, but they got through their defenses."

"So another Q.Z. lost?"

"No. The E.U. ignored the Q.Z entirely, but most of our forces in Providence were killed or wounded."

"Shit," I said, then continued, "Where are we going then?"

Martinez pointed up into one of the abandoned buildings, "We're supposed to wait them out. When they get here, we take 'em down one by one."

"What if they bring any vehicles?"

"We confiscated some RPGs from inside the warehouse. Won't be a problem."

"And you're sure this will work?"

"Not at all." He said, then continued walking towards our building, Baker and Jackson having already entered. I hesitated for a second, then ran forward.

"This better work." I said to myself, entering the building.

* * *

**Weapons Acquired:** _RPG-7 Rocket Launcher, Intervention Sniper Rifle_**(Baker, Martinez)**_, M240 Light Machine Gun_**(Brad, Jackson) **(MW2 guns, I know.)

* * *

"Goddamn, where the hell are these guys?" Jackson said, his machine gun propped up on its bipod on the window sill. We had been waiting for about half an hour, and not a single enemy had shown up. Jackson and I were in an old apartment just outside, with a clear view of the front of the warehouse. Martinez and Baker were a few floors above us with snipers, all four of us getting one RPG with two spare rockets.

"Be patient, Jackson." I turned on my radio, "You guys see anything?"

"Nothing yet," Martinez responded, "These guys sure are taking their time."

"You said they were six miles out, and closing."

"That's what command told me."

"They probably got cut off by some infected or something." Baker said this time.

"Probably."

Then a new voice came through, "All Ghosts forces, this is Lieutenant Hesh Walker. Hostile forces are arriving at the warehouse. My team and I will be down on the ground along with 4 other squads on a ground attack. Stalkers 2, 3, 5, and 8 will be inside the surrounding buildings, attacking from the inside. Air support won't be available for a short time."

He finished quickly, "Time to show these guys how we Ghosts operate."

"Damn right." someone said.

"Wait for my mark to engage, Hesh out."

"Copy that, sir." Martinez said. Hesh, he was the one who was against me when Elias and Merrick were deciding what to do with me. Now I had to listen to whatever he said.

Dammit. That sucks.

"Hostiles spotted," Martinez said.

"About damn time." Jackson said, cocking his machine gun.

I looked out my window, and sure enough, Humvees were piling up from behind one another in front of the warehouse. Some soldiers got out, while the turrets were scanning the area.

"Looks like these guys didn't bring any heavy armor." Jackson said.

Then, out of fucking nowhere, a tank rolled up behind all the Humvees. It looked like it was damaged some, but it was in no other way harmed.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me." I said, grabbing my RPG and keeping it close.

"Sir, are you seeing this?" Martinez said, talking to Hesh.

"Can't miss it." Was his only response.

"Sir, we don't have the firepower to take that out. What the hell do you want us to do?" I said.

"Just hold on a bit longer."

The E.U soldiers down at the warehouse were talking, but I wasn't paying attention to what they were saying. I was only focused on what we were supposed to do.

Then, there was a sound of a chopper coming in. It got louder and louder as it came close to our location. It flew right over our heads, turning around toward us. Before anything else could happen, Hesh spoke through the radio.

"All Ghost teams, engage enemy targets."

"Finally." Jackson said, then yelled, "Welcome to America, motherfuckers!"

Then all hell broke loose.

Tons of gunfire was exchanged, explosions were coming from every direction. Jackson and I sprayed down at the enemy, Martinez and Baker picking off anyone hiding behind cover from above us, Hesh's ground team was pushing them towards the entrance of the warehouse, our chopper in the sky quickly took out the tank and other vehicles with its rockets.

These guys didn't stand a chance, and they knew it.

The whole fight didn't even last five minutes, when their soldiers were dropping their guns and raising their arms in surrender.

"Too fucking easy!" Jackson yelled from the other room, and I couldn't help but smile too. We had beat the Europeans twice that day, I had to feel proud of that.

Our celebration was short lived though, because inhuman screams could be heard close by, and lots of them too.

"Infected!" Someone yelled, and sure enough, dozens, maybe even hundreds of infected, poured into the streets, overrunning our men in seconds. I saw a few of them escape though, which was a good sign.

Jackson and I shot up as many as we could, but there was just too many. They were inside and on us in a minute.

Jackson pulled out his rifle and started to shoot, but I just grabbed him and pulled him away.

"There's too many, we gotta run!"

"What about Martinez and Baker?"

"We're heading to the roof," Martinez said through the radio, "We'll hold out there as long as we can. Just get out of here!"

And with that, Jackson and I took off.

Jackson's leg healed up some, so he was able to run for a good while. But not long after, he collapsed onto the ground. We were in the middle of the city, far from the quarantine zone.

"I can't do it. Go on without me." He said, still on the ground.

I shook my head, picking him up, and tossing his arm over my shoulders, "No man left behind." Was all I said. Jackson didn't object, and we continued wandering through the streets.

After another twenty minutes of walking, barking could be heard from our left.

"What the hell?" We both said in unison, and we both looked towards our left. Sure enough, a dog wearing what looked like a bullet proof vest ran out into the streets, straight at us. He didn't do anything to us, only staring.

"Riley, back off," a familiar voice said, also coming from our left. The dog obeyed his orders.

I looked up again, and who I saw shocked me.

"Hesh?"

He walked up to us, two others following behind him, "Where the hell were you guys?"

"We've been trying to find our way back to the zone," Jackson said, "I got shot in the leg before the firefight, but Brad here saved my ass."

Hesh looked at me, "Brad Johnston?"

I nodded, "What, are you surprised?"

He shook his head, "No. Not at all."

The two men behind him reached us, and I immediately recognized them.

"Keegan and Logan, right?"

They both nodded.

"Okay. Good. How did you guys get out of the crowd of infected? I saw a couple of guys get out, but not you."

"The warehouse had a second exit. Infected were nowhere near."

I nodded, and Jackson started now, "Can we keep moving now? Which way is the Q.Z?"

Hesh pointed down the street, "You guys were heading right for it. You just didn't know."

"Thanks, asshole." I said, and he just laughed.

We all walked off, their dog, Riley, walking next to me the entire way, sniffing around where my magnum was.

"Calm done, boy. I won't use it on you." I said, Hesh and Logan laughing ahead of me.

In no time, we made it to the Q.Z, entering from the eastern wall. Jackson was taken away by a bunch of medics, while Hesh, Logan, and Keegan headed to the command center.

And guess who was the first one to talk to me when I got back.

...

Yeah, Riley.

"What the hell happened to you?" She said as she walked up to me.

I took my mask off, speaking to her, "Nothing unusual. Just another day at work."

* * *

**Woo Woo, another chapter down.**

**Let me know what you guys think about this one, because it's actually kind of important later on.**

**Also, thank you that guest for spamming me reviews for me update it.**

**On a side note, the next chapter will be a while until it's up, because I started my sophomore year of high school this week, so I will have less time to write.**

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**Thank you again.**

**-Broncozfan623**


	8. Immunity

**Guest, whoever you are, you're a fucking legend! Unfortunately, I couldn't respond to your reviews because this website does not allow me to PM guest accounts, but thanks anyway! (I recommend you make an account if you want me to update you on the status of this story, I advise everybody else do the same.)**

**At this point, I would thank you all for the support, but the view counter for both of my stories messed up and viewed only 0 ever since I updated this story(I even read the story myself, and that didn't show up either). If anyone else has ever had that problem, please let me know what you did to fix it. I want to prevent that from ever happening again.**

**Also, sorry this chapter took so long. High school is killing me. Plus, I've been fighting bronchitis for the past three weeks, so I haven't had the energy to write, especially this past week(I missed four straight days of school).**

**That's all I wanted to say, so enjoy chapter eight.**

**(Chapter does contain some Ellie/Riley moments. If you don't like the pairing, either leave or skip that part of the chapter.)  
**

* * *

_**"Immunity"**_

**July 4, 2033, 09:42:13**

**Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America**

**Specialist Brad Johnston, Task Force: STALKER**

**Status: Alive**

* * *

It's been two days since the our attack on the E.U. Yesterday, three platoons were sent in to kill off the infected by the warehouse, Martinez and Baker included. They managed to clear out the infected, but not before losing seven more guys. To Elias that was an acceptable loss, compared to who we lost in the original fight(I believe it was somewhere around fifty or sixty, not including the guys in Providence).

As I expected, everyone tried to blame it on Riley, saying she led us into a trap and was working with the Europeans. Merrick and Elias didn't listen to them though, and to be honest, I was happy about that. Riley had been fed false information by the Fireflies, and you couldn't blame her for that.

As for the Europeans that survived the firefight and the infected, they were either killed trying to fight us off or were captured. The ones that were captured were brought here, and they would be interrogated by our leaders at some point in time.

But right now, we were back in the command center, once again not being able to agree on what to do next.

There was six of us. Elias, Merrick, Hesh, Logan, myself, and Riley was there to. Elias was seated at one end of the table, the rest of us on the sides.

"Sir, you can't be serious about this?" I said. Logan had suggested that we had to send Riley out of the zone because she lied to us, told us that the Fireflies were there when they actually weren't.

"Brad, there isn't any other option." Hesh said.

"There has to be. We can't just send her out on her own. What if the Fireflies find her and find out she helped us? What then?"

"That's not our problem."

"It is our fucking problem! They're our enemies."

"Brad, whatever you say is not going to help. We just lost almost sixty men because of her, not even counting the guys in Providence, and that cannot go without consequence." Hesh said to me.

I wanted to say something, but I couldn't find the words to speak. I just sat back down in my chair and looked up at Riley, who had been staring down at her hands silently the whole time.

"So," Elias said, "When do you all want to do this?"

"It doesn't matter to me, but the sooner-" Logan was speaking, then I thought of something.

"What about Ellie?" I said, and all eyes immediately turned onto me, including Riley.

"That is not the issue right now." Merrick said.

"Sir, with all do respect, it has been two days since I brought her and Riley here, and I haven't heard a single thing about her being alive or dead. So if you can explain-"

I didn't get to finish, because the door opened and Martinez walked in, "Sorry to interrupt, sir."

"What is it?"

"It's the girl, she's-"

"What is it, man." I said, "Spit it out."

He hesitated slightly, then spoke, "She's still alive. I was walking by and the two guards outside were in shock. I didn't believe it at first, but when I checked, she was just sitting there," he looked at me, "She wants to talk to you, and you alone."

...

I only sat there, dumbfounded by what he said.

...

I had my suspicions at first, but I always pushed them away and didn't try to think about it.

...

But here we were, inside the top floor of the command center.

And Ellie was still fucking alive, even after being bitten.

...

I stood up immediately, turning to Elias.

"Permission to leave, sir." I asked.

"Go," he said, then pointed to Riley, "Bring her with you."

I don't know why, but I smiled. Riley stood straight up as soon as he said that, and we both walked out.

* * *

"Are you sure he's not lying to us?" Riley said, walking just to my right.

"Positive. Martinez has never told a lie his whole life. It's how his parents got themselves killed."

"Oh." Was all she could say, and we soon reached the building they used as a prison, sort of.

We reached were they were holding Ellie, the guards stopping me when I tried to go in.

"What do you think you're doing, kid?" One of them said.

"I'm here to the girl. Rumor has it she's still alive."

"No way. Nobody is going inside unless they have special clarification."

"I was sent here by Elias himself. Does that meet your standards?"

The two looked at each other, then just muttered, "Fine. Go in." Then they walked away.

I shook my head, "Jesus," Riley was about to walk in, but I stopped her.

"Let me go in first, you stay out here."

"But I-"

"Don't worry. I'll let you see her. Let me just talk to her first."

She hesitated, but eventually she released the door handle and backed away.

I pulled my magnum out, "Just in case," I said, then I opened the door.

...

It was near pitch black until I opened the door, the only light coming from a tiny window. Ellie was sitting on the bed inside alone, staring down at her arm. She jumped slightly when I entered.

"You wanted to see me, ma'am?" I said jokingly, putting my magnum away and closing the door behind me.

"I didn't believe it at first when Martinez told me you were alive." I said, leaning against the wall opposite of her.

She looked back down at her arm, "I didn't believe it either."

I nodded, then she spoke again,"What happens now?"

I thought for a moment, then started, "I'm not sure. If you really are immune to the infection, that makes you a target. Chances are the Fireflies would hunt you down and we would double up on security because of it."

"Well, that sounds pleasant."

I laughed, then continued, "Anyway, whatever doctors are here would see how you didn't turn and possibly find a way to make a vaccine."

"Are you serious?"

I smiled, "Yes."

She didn't respond, only leaning back against the wall. We were silent, until I spoke again, "Merrick was right about you."

She looked at me, "How?"

"He said you two could be the key to winning the war, and looks like he was right."

We were silent again after that, this time Ellie broke the silence, "Just one more thing."

"What is it?"

She looked back up at me, "Where's Riley? Please tell me they didn't hurt her."

"Don't worry. Riley is fine. She's in civilian housing now. I made sure of that."

She sighed, relieved, "Thanks for that."

"Wasn't a problem. But there is one thing you should know."

Her face changed, "What?"

"They're planning to send her out of the zone."

She stood up then, "Why?"

"Two days ago, when Riley was interrogated, she said that the Fireflies had a warehouse that acted as a second operating base in the northern part of the city. We were sent in, and there were no Fireflies in the area. But, there were foreign soldiers there, and they attacked us. Two of our choppers were shot out of the sky and most of our ground forces were killed before we could reach the entrance. We eventually took the warehouse, but more of them came in from Providence, Rhode Island. They practically wiped out our forces there, and then came straight for us. In the ensuing fight, infected swarmed the area, my squad and I barely got out alive. We lost almost sixty men, and seven more the next day, and that doesn't even count the number lost in Providence."

I sighed, "They blamed it on Riley, saying that she set us up and was responsible for all those deaths."

Ellie was speechless, "And you let this happen?"

"No, of course I didn't," I snapped back, "I did the best I could to convince them not to send her out, but I failed. She leaves tomorrow."

Ellie looked righteously pissed and sad all at the same time, and I couldn't blame her for that.

But what she said next shocked me.

"Well then I'm leaving too."

I looked up at her, "What?"

"You heard me."

"Ellie, you can't. They would not let you anywhere near those walls."

"I don't care. Wherever Riley goes, I go. That's how it is. I don't give a fuck if I can save this country, I will not leave her."

She sat back down on the bed, leaving me speechless.

"She means that much to you?"

She didn't hesitate to nod, "Yes."

Then I smiled, then walked over to the door, "Well, in that case, I brought you a gift."

I opened the door, and Riley walked in, and Ellie froze.

"Riley," was all she said.

I walked outside, "I'll leave you two to get caught up."

Then I shut the door behind me.

* * *

**(Riley)**

Ellie pretty much attacked me as soon as Brad left. She immediately ran up to me and hugged me as tight as she could. Of course, I hugged her back just as eagerly.

"I'm glad you're okay." She said, pulling back to look me in the eye.

I smiled, "I should be the one saying that."

All she did was smile right back at me.

Then she pulled back, her face having gotten serious, "Brad told me you were being sent out," she frowned, "Is that true?"

I hesitated to tell her, but I nodded, "Yeah."

She sighed, "We just can't seem to stay out of trouble, can we?"

"Yeah. Mostly you though."

"Oh, shut up." She laughed, and I did along with her. We ended up laying on her bed together, just staring up at the ceiling. At the time, it was all I could have asked for. Just me and her, alone.

I eventually broke the silence, "What else did Brad say to you?"

She shrugged, "Just some stuff about what would happen to me, and that you were being sent out of the zone."

"What did you say to him?"

"Well, I said that if you left I would've left with you."

I raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

She smiled, then turned to me, "Riley, don't be stupid. Of course I would have."

I couldn't help but smile after she said that. I was going to kiss her, but the door opened again.

"Hope you're not to comfortable." I heard Brad say as he walked inside.

Ellie sighed, "Too late."

Brad smiled, then closed the door behind him. "I've got good news and bad news for both of you. Which do you want to hear first?"

"Bad." I said without giving Ellie a say. She would get back at me for that later.

"Well, more Europeans have been spotted by the Boston Harbor. We have a team on their way to intercept them immediately."

"That's not good, is it?" Ellie asked.

"Not for them, it isn't." He responded.

I didn't say anything, and spoke again, "What about the good news?"

He smiled, "I know you will like this. I talked with Merrick and Elias, and they decided to let you stay, Riley."

Ellie and I sat up and spoke at the exact same time, "Really?"

"Yeah. I told them that if you left, Ellie was going to leave with you. They didn't want to take that risk."

Ellie was smiling from ear to ear, and she nudged my shoulder, "You're welcome."

I smiled back at her, and Brad laughed. He then opened the door to leave.

"I knew you would like that. You're free to leave this room whenever, Riley can show you where she was staying these last two days."

Ellie looked at me, standing up from the bed, "Lead the way," she said.

I smiled once again, like I hadn't done that enough today, grabbing her hand and leading her towards my, well _our_, apartment.

...

And to think I was going to be exiled away from her.

Well, I have Brad to thank for stopping that.

* * *

**Loadout(All):**

**Primary:** _Honey Badger Assault Rifle w/Red Dot Sight_

**Primary(Baker):** _Honey Badger Assault Rifle Customized(Red Dot Sight, Heartbeat Sensor)_

**Sidearm(Brad):** _.44 Magnum Revolver_

**Sidearm(Rest):** _P226__ Silenced_

* * *

**(Brad)**

**Ten Hours Later**

The chopper would not stop bouncing as we flew towards where the last team went M.I.A. We would have responded earlier, but the weather was not on our side.

...

Yeah, it was raining.

Again.

It seems like most of my missions have to take place during shitty weather, and it was always rain.

I kind of hated it, but it didn't matter at the time.

Martinez nudged my shoulder, "You awake?" he said.

I shrugged, "Barely. It's been a long day."

"Here, catch." Baker said, tossing me a flask of alcohol. I stared at it, looking at him, "How will this help?"

"Don't question, dude. Just drink."

Reluctantly, I took a long swig, barely holding it down. I coughed, tossing it back to Baker, "What the fuck is that stuff?"

"It's bourbon. Straight from Kentucky."

"Why the hell did you give me that?"

"Oh, don't be a bitch." He said, putting the flask away. You know, it's times like these when I really hate Baker.

"Time to target, 30 seconds." The pilot said.

"All right, ready up. NVGs on." Martinez said, pulling his pair down over his eyes.

We all did the same, NVGs, or night vision goggles, were pretty much essential at this time and in this weather.

We gathered on the sides, and the operators opened the side doors. It was pouring, and lightning struck not far away, and not long after thunder sounded.

"Alright. Go! Go!" The pilots said, and we jumped out and into the rain. As soon as we were out, the rain pounded our bodies.

"As you all know, last Ghost squad to come through this part of town went M.I.A."

"Stalker 5, move inside that building and find our men. Take out the Europeans, and haul ass back here."

The chopper took off, the remaining soldiers closing the doors, "Good luck, gentlemen."

"Roger that, Stalker 5 copies." Martinez said, then he motioned forward.

"Lets move out." He said, taking the lead with Baker, Jackson, and I right behind him.

We walked inside the building, and we all checked the surrounding area.

It was a mall. Similar to the one I found Ellie and Riley at, but the conditions were no different. The place was still destroyed and shrubbery still covered the walls. The place had clearly not been explored in years.

"Baker, set your heartbeat sensor." Martinez said, "Brad, Jackson, defensive positions."

"Got it." I said, and me and Jackson walked up in front of the other two.

"You know, what does that sensor even do?" Jackson said to Baker.

"It's in the name. It picks up heart rates in the surrounding area in front and to my sides. Friendlies show up as blue dots, hostiles as red."

"Does it pick up infected?"

As soon as he said that, a runner ran out from around a corner. It turned straight towards us, but one shot to the head from me took it down.

"No, it doesn't." Baker said.

We continued moving through the mall, finding no signs of life anywhere. But the infected were everywhere though. We ran into ten more runners and three clickers before we found any signs of our missing soldiers.

And it wasn't what we had hoped for.

When we did find something, there were bodies. Two of them, their bodies lying several feet away from one another.

"Oh god," Baker said, covering his nose, Jackson nearly doing the same.

I moved up to assess the bodies, their weapons having been taken. I grabbed their dog tags from their necks and stood back up.

"Two more soldiers down," I said, "How many does that make it that the Europeans have killed?"

"How do you know it was them?" Martinez said.

I stepped aside, pointing out gunshot wounds all across their chest and lower torsos. He nodded, then motioned for us to keep moving.

...

So we did.

We walked through the mall for about another five minutes before we heard voices. Baker's heartbeat sensor started beeping quietly, and we all started moving slowly.

Just around the corner, you could see a small light illuminating there. We walked up to the corner to turn, finding four men gathered around a small fire.

"What do we do?" Baker said.

Martinez thought for a second, then pulled out a smoke grenade, "Switch to thermal. They won't see us, but we'll see them."

We all switched off night vision and turned to thermals, the colors turning from green to blue and orange whenever you looked at a person.

Martinez pulled the pin on his smoke and Baker did the same with another, then they tossed them over towards the fire. We turned the corner and immediately came under fire. Jackson and I ran to the other side and took cover, but Martinez and Baker stayed on that side.

"Take 'em out!" Martinez said, looking back to shoot.

"How the hell did they know we were here?" Jackson said, looking over a window sill to shoot, me doing the same a little after.

Soon enough, though, the gunfire stopped and we could here footsteps running away from us.

"Don't let them get away!" Martinez said, running after them. We all followed suite immediately after.

We chased them down the halls of the mall, eventually leading to the roof. I was surprised no infected were behind us, considering their weapons were unsupressed.

They jumped across from one building to another, us right on their heels. Eventually they ran out of roof to run to, because our chopper swooped down in front of the street, preventing them from escape. We ran up from behind, pointing our guns right at their backs.

"Stand down!" Martinez yelled, but they didn't move. One eventually dropped his weapon and raised his arms up, showing a Union Jack on his right upper arm.

...

Wait a second.

Then he turned around, and I couldn't believe my eyes.

...

It was Captain John Price himself.

Here. In the US.

But that wasn't all.

...

The other guy turned around after him, and that shocked me even more.

Can you guess who it was?

...

Think about it.

...

Do you have your answer?

Well, if you guessed Devon Montgomery, you were correct.

I was in total disbelief. My best friend and trainer were now my enemy. But I couldn't believe that they were here.

"This is your one chance to give up and come with us peacefully." Baker said to my right.

Devon raised his gun, "Not a chance,"

Price lowered it with his hand, "Don't. You make a move, you're dead."

Devon looked at him in protest, "But sir," But Price just shook his head.

"Just shut up and be happy you're not dead right now." I said. They couldn't recognize me from my mask, so they didn't really say anything.

Price took a step forward, "Alright, you win. You got us. If you want to arrest us and take us in, go ahead."

Martinez looked at me and Baker and nodded, then we walked up to them with our guns up.

I stared at Devon the entire time, I could see his expression change to fear when I did. We took them down to their knees, then handcuffed them.

"You're lucky," I said to them, "Your other guys didn't get this kind of treatment." Price didn't respond or move a muscle, but I saw Devon shutter.

Pretty soon we were on the chopper, heading home. I was silent, refusing to take my mask off when Martinez said to. He asked why, but I said we would talk later.

...

Goddammit, this changes everything.

First Ellie, now Devon and Price are here.

And not only that, they're our enemies.

...

Definitely not what I had in mind for today.

* * *

**(Riley)**

The thunder is what woke me up, startling me out of a dreamless sleep.

I yawned, turning towards my left, noticing that Ellie was gone.

"Ellie?" I said, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

I heard her respond from the other room, "Over here."

I got up, and walked out to see her sitting by the window, staring out at the rain.

"I couldn't sleep," she said, "Too much on my mind."

I sat on the couch, "Like what?"

She shook her head, "It doesn't matter."

"Ellie. I can tell something's up with you."

She sighed, then got up and walked over and joined me on the couch. She said nothing at first, but then she spoke.

"I'm just afraid of what's going to happen next. Brad told me that being immune makes me a target."

"For who?"

"The Fireflies, who else?"

I hadn't thought about it, but she was right. The Fireflies' one goal was to find a cure, and they would stop at nothing to do that.

I spoke up again, "What else did he say?"

She shook her head, "Nothing that I haven't already told you."

I nodded, then she spoke again, "I'm just worried about what's going to happen once this is all over. What will happen to you? And me? What about Marlene and the Fireflies? Or Brad and the Ghosts? What will happen to them?"

I didn't say anything, because, to be honest, I didn't really know what to say.

I just said this, "Ellie, whatever happens, everything will be okay. You don't need to worry about that. If anything bad happens, Brad and the Ghosts would handle it."

"But how do you know that?" She said, standing up, "Riley, these people have been fighting one another for twenty years, and neither side has come anywhere close to winning. You saw how well equipped their soldiers are, how good they can fight," I assumed she was talking about Brad in this, "And yet they still struggle to survive with each passing day. Even if they do manage to cure the infection, who's to know they won't continue trying to kill one another."

I stood up now, "Ellie, listen to me. Yeah, I know that they've been fighting for forever, and I get that. And yeah, they might still be fighting another twenty years from now, but that's not the issue. Now that you're immune, all they would be focused on is your safety and the vaccine."

"How do you know that?" She snapped back, "All you know is what the Fireflies told you. They could have been telling you lies this whole time."

"That's not what I mea-"

"Yes it is, Riley." I could tell by the tone of her voice that she wasn't angry, just upset, "I know you dreamed about being one of them, but that's gone now. If Brad and the others find out you were one of them, they would kill you."

She was stuttering, "And...I couldn't let that happen to you. Ever."

She walked back towards the window, stopping right in front of it, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have talked to you about this." Now I knew she was on the verge of crying, and it made me feel guilty.

I walked up next to her, "Ellie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just don't want you to act like this is on you, because it's not." She turned to face me, "I know this is hard for you, but you need to just relax. Brad and the others can take care of this, and I know you don't want that, but at the time there's nothing we can do."

She sighed, "I just feel show useless."

I grabbed her face, "You're not, Ellie. You're the only known person in this country that is immune, you can save everyone. You are anything but useless, and I'm not saying that because I care about you."

She studied me intently before she spoke again, "Okay."

"I know this is putting a lot on you, Ellie, but know that I will always be here for you. No matter what. Okay?"

She nodded, "Okay."

I smiled, "Good."

She then went on to hug me, and I hugged her back just as tightly.

...

And then we ended up kissing, just as lightning struck outside. I don't know who leaned in first, it just sort of happened.

I was first to speak just as we pulled apart, "I love you."

"I love you too." She said without hesitation.

...

Neither of us noticed the helicopter landing outside.

And to be honest, I didn't care.

* * *

**That is Chapter Eight. Well done for finishing that one.**

**Thank you for reading, and leave me a review telling me what you think.**

**See you next time.**

**Broncozfan623**


	9. Captured

**We'll talk at the end, just keep reading.**

**(Chapter does contain some Ellie/Riley moments. If you don't like the pairing, either leave or skip that part of the chapter.)  
**

* * *

_**"Captured"**_

**July 9, 2033, 08:26:43**

**Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America**

**Riley Abel**

**Status: Alive**

* * *

"I still don't fucking understand." Brad said, slamming his hand down against the table. We were in the mess hall, and by we I mean Brad, Ellie, and myself. Brad had been discussing how they had captured two more Europeans a few days ago, saying how he couldn't figure out why they were here. Apparently one had been Brad's friends back when he was in training.

"What does it matter? It's not like they did anything bad." Ellie said.

"They killed four of our guys, Ellie. That's pretty bad."

She didn't respond.

After we found out she was immune, nothing out of the ordinary happened. Brad said they hadn't seen the Fireflies in almost a month, and infected never showed up anymore.

Everything was fine, mostly.

"Brad," someone said from far away, when he reached us I recognized him, Martinez, one of Brad's squadmates. He had introduced Ellie and I to him about three days ago.

"What's up?" Brad said when he did show up.

"Did you forget that we're on scouting duty today?" He asked, not even acknowledging neither me or Ellie.

Brad stood up then, "Shit. Yeah, I did." He turned towards Ellie and I, "I'll see you guys later."

Then they walked away.

...

"You know," Ellie stared after about a minute of silence between us, "I'm surprised you still don't trust him."

I looked at her, "Who?"

She turned to look at me, "Who else?"

She was talking about Brad.

Okay, you might be confused at the fact that I still didn't trust him, but in all honesty, I did. Brad was nothing like how Marlene had described the Ghosts back when I was with the Fireflies.

...

Oh yeah, the Fireflies.

They were probably looking for me by now.

...

Marlene is probably pissed.

* * *

**Somewhere else in Boston**

"So what the hell do we do know?" He asked, looking up at the woman a few feet away from him, a body at his feet.

The woman turned to him, shrugging, "We go find the Fireflies."

A voice came out from around the corner, "You won't have to look very far."

Another woman walked around the corner, one you probably know.

...

It was Marlene, Queen of the Fireflies. The most wanted woman in America.

"There you go," the man said, "Queen Firefly."

"What do you want, Marlene?"

Marlene scanned the area, "Where's Robert?"

The woman stepped aside, showing the body of what was once a man named Robert.

Marlene sighed, shaking her head, "I needed him alive."

"That's unfortunate," the woman started, "Those guns he gave you weren't his to sell."

"Well you're not gonna get them back for free." Marlene said. She had plans for them, but she wouldn't tell them just yet.

The woman sighed, then began speaking again, "How many cards are we talking about?"

Marlene shook her head, "I don't give two damns about ration cards," Now was the time to tell them her plans, "One of my own has gone missing. She was supposed to be shipped to Rhode Island about a week ago, but she just disappeared. I think the Ghosts may have gotten to her."

"Ghosts?" The man said, finally paying attention to what Marlene said.

"It's a rumor," The woman said, "Apparently there's another military group somewhere in the city, but it's all stories. They're not real."

"That's not true," Marlene said, "They're real, and they're dangerous. They've been wiping us out since all of this shit started. You have no idea what they do to their prisoners."

The man shook his head, "Marlene, no offense, but why do you want us to do this? We're smugglers, not rescuers."

"Well maybe if you hadn't killed Robert, you wouldn't be in this mess."

"She's got a point." The woman said.

The man said nothing, then looking at the woman, "You're the boss."

The woman smiled, then turned to Marlene, "Where are we heading?"

"There's a group of Fireflies towards the harbor. You can meet up with them there, then head towards the southeast side of the city. That's where they operate."

The woman nodded, "Lead the way."

They walked off.

* * *

**(Brad)**

Nothing.

...

There was nothing here, again.

Scouting duty was a waste of time.

"Martinez, the northeast area is clear. No sign of Fireflies or Infected."

"Copy that," he said, "Head back to the wall, we'll call it a day."

"Got it," I said, walking out of the building I was in.

...

As I said earlier, scouting duty was a waste of time. There was nothing outside of the walls, and there never will be.

But today, I was wrong.

"Help! I need someone over here."

The voice came from a man, somewhere nearby.

"Hold on, I'll be there soon."

I ran off towards where the voice came from. I found whoever it was in an alley, a good block or two from the wall.

It was a man and a woman, the woman having a gunshot wound in her abdomen. The man noticed me, then started walking towards me, carrying the woman.

"Stop." I said, raising my gun at them. The last time I ran into people like this, one of my friends died, so I wasn't taking any chances.

"Please, you've got to help-" The man said, walking towards me.

"Stop right now!" I yelled this time, and this time the man complied.

"Look, we're not infected. The Fireflies ambushed us." The man said, as if I would have asked him that.

I stared at the two of them, then called in to Martinez.

"Hey, I got two civilians on the outer perimeter. They've got wounded, say they were ambushed by Fireflies. Please advise."

"Are they armed?"

I looked over at them, noticing a pistol in a holster on the man's waist, but nothing on the woman. "Just one."

"They look dangerous?"

"No."

"Then bring them in, we can help them."

"Yes sir," I said, then I turned towards the two hunters, well I assumed they were hunters.

"Okay, listen to me." I said, walking to them, "I'm gonna bring you guys in, but if either of you two try anything, and I do mean _anything_, I will kill you. Understand?"

The woman spoke this time, "Whatever you say."

"Good. Now follow me." I ran out of the alley, being mindful of the two behind me. I checked the streets for infected or Fireflies, but the coast was clear, as expected.

"Alright, come on." I said, walking down the street ahead of the others.

"What are your names?" I asked, keeping my gun up as I walked. They didn't respond for a few seconds after I asked.

"I'm Joel," the man said, "She's Tess."

"I can still talk, asshole."

I would've normally laughed at that, but today I said nothing.

"How the hell did you end up here? Fireflies haven't been around in nearly a month."

"We got caught up by the harbor. They were working with some other smugglers."

...

Wait a second.

We got Devon and Price up by the harbor.

...

What if they were working with the Fireflies?

...

If so, we needed to take out those smugglers, and fast.

I'll tell Martinez about it when I get back.

"Hey," the man said, "Just curious, how old are you?"

I responded immediately, "That's no concern of yours."

"I was just asking."

"Well, I don't have to tell you anything."

By the time I had said that, we had reached the wall. The walls opened up, letting us through.

...

But then a truck came swerving around the corner, a man on a machine gun on the back.

"Contact!" I yelled, starting to shoot at the truck, the tower guards doing the same, "Get the wall closed!"

Nobody objected when I said that, as they pushed the gate, trying to make it close faster. Meanwhile, someone with an RPG had come out of nowhere, and they launched a rocket at the truck. It impacted the windshield, and fire bellowed from all around the vehicle. The man on the back had fallen out after being shot, but was hobbling on the ground. The truck impacted the wall, but with little force and right as the gate was closed.

People had gathered around the area, including Ellie and Riley.

But I didn't care about that.

I went up to the kid who fired the RPG.

"What the hell were you thinking?" I yelled at him, grabbing the launcher from his hands, "You could have hit the wall with this thing, or worse, hit someone else."

"I'm sorry. I was just trying to help." I could tell by the patch on his shoulder he was new, a Private.

"Well, if you want to help, don't fire rockets through the walls as it's closing. You're going to get a lot of people killed if you pull stunts like that." I handed him the launcher, "Now go back to the armory and return this, you're not even authorized to use this stuff."

"Yes sir." He said with a sigh, and he walked off.

I turned around to find Tess and Joel, the two people I had found, being helped by some medics. I found myself relieved, maybe we could get more intel on those smugglers at the harbor.

"You good?" Martinez said, coming up from behind me.

I smiled, "Never better. I need to tell you something."

"Same here. You first."

"Those people I found outside the wall said they were ambushed by Fireflies at the harbor. Apparently, they have close ties to the smugglers in that area."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. If they're working with the Fireflies, I think those Europeans we captured might be as well."

"And you're sure about this?"

"Not at all."

I laughed, "I'll talk with Elias about it later. But right now, Merrick wants you at the interrogation room. Apparently that kid we captured isn't talking."

...

He meant Devon.

Well, he never trusted a lot of people anyway.

"Alright. I'll head over now."

Then I ran towards the interrogation room.

...

This was going to be a long day, I could tell.

* * *

I reached the interrogation room, finding Merrick sitting at one end of the table, Devon at the other. He had a new scar above his eye, which showed me he was not cooperating.

"What's going on?" I asked someone in surveillance, looking through the glass that Merrick and Devon couldn't see.

"Simple. Kid doesn't talk, Merrick tried forcing it out of 'em. I don't understand, the older one gave us everything we had asked for."

I didn't say anything, only leaving surveillance and heading towards the entrance of the interrogation room.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" I said to Merrick.

He turned around, a look of anger on his face. "Yeah. I thought you might want to see this."

I was confused, "What?"

"Don't tell me you don't know why."

I did know why. Merrick knew I had trained with these guys, he was the one that sent me there in the first place. I couldn't say that out loud though, or else Devon and everyone else would've heard.

I didn't say anything, just walking towards the far corner of the room, not acknowledging Devon. He didn't even bat an eye towards me anyway.

"Now," Merrick started, "I will ask you one more time. You are going to tell me why you are here, and whatever the hell you are planning."

Devon smiled, "So this is what you think of me, eh? You think I'm a rat."

Then he yelled, "Fuck you!"

Merrick nodded to me, and I knew what he wanted me to do. So I went over to Devon, slamming the stock of my gun into the back of his head, knocking him out.

"Take him back with the other one. I think that's enough for today."

I nodded, picking up Devon from his legs and pulling him out of the room. Nobody acknowledged what I was doing as I traveled throughout the building(the interrogation room was only two floors above where we kept POW's), for they all were either to busy or didn't care enough to notice.

When I did reach the floor for prisoners, one person tried to attack me as I walked by. I could tell that he was infected, by the way he kept trying and how he looked. I didn't shoot him, as I would let someone else do the honors when I was gone.

I finally reached Price and Devon's cell, finding that Price was asleep. When I opened the door and pushed Devon in, he had woken up.

He looked up at me, then smiled, "Glad your not dead, Brad."

"Why the hell are you here?" I asked. Price was trying to get on my good side, but it wasn't going to happen.

Price looked down at Devon, "What happened to him?"

"Do not ignore the question, Price. Why the fuck are you here?"

Price started to stand up, but me raising my gun up made him sit back down, "Well, if you really want to know, it's kind of your fault."

I raised an eyebrow, "How?"

"You attacked us."

"Bullshit. You guys shouldn't be here anyway. This isn't your fight, so stay the fuck out of it."

"You're a lot more vulgar than before."

I walked out of the cell, slamming the door and locking it.

"Just so you know, your guys got hundreds of people killed, people that had families. The people in Providence and here didn't deserve to die like they had."

I turned around, "Just think about."

I began to walk away, "I'll be back later, when you feel like talking."

I shot the runner that had been alone in one cell, waking everyone that was sleeping.

"Rise and shine." I said before I left.

* * *

**Present Day**

"They never truly told me why they were there." I said, looking down at the bloodstained white shirt I had on. I must have had this on while I was in captivity.

"Did you ever speak to them after that time?"

I shook my head, "No, not for a while."

* * *

**18 Days Earlier**

* * *

**Loadout:**

**Primary(Brad, Jackson):** _Vector CRB Submachine Gun_

**Primary(Martinez, Baker):** _M4A1 Assault Rifle_

**Sidearm(Brad):** _.44 Magnum Handgun_

**Sidearm(Rest):** _P226 Handun_  


* * *

Newsflash: They approved the mission.

We were heading to the harbor now, where the smugglers and Fireflies were reportedly at. Elias didn't want to take the risk of losing more people, so he just sent my squad and I.

Martinez had been on edge. He was afraid that it was another trap set up by the Europeans. When we reached the area though, his opinion changed.

The area where we landed was empty, as usual. But this was different. The air smelled of rotting bodies, as if somebody had just opened up a mass grave.

"What the hell?" Baker said, covering his nose, "It smells like shit."

"You're gonna have to get over it." I said.

"Seriously? Fuck man." He responded.

"Lets find out where it's coming from." Martinez said, and we walked down the street.

No infected came out to attack us, and there was not a single smuggler in sight. For a time, I was starting to believe we had been led into a trap.

...

Then we heard a sound come from an alley. We ran up to investigate, all of us standing by the wall, guns ready. Martinez went first, then a look of horror displayed on his face.

"Oh god." He said, then the rest of us looked into the alley.

...

There were bodies.

Lots of them. They were all piled together, some having looked like they had been dead for weeks.

"What the hell happened?" Jackson asked, checking our backs.

"If I knew, I would tell you." I said to him. Then I looked at Martinez, speaking, "Dude, we shouldn't be here."

"Stow it," He said, "We finish the mission then go."

I shook my head, hearing Jackson speak again, "Oh, this is bad. This is so bad."

"Amen to that, brother." Baker responded.

We walked out of the alley, noticing a huge infected pod of fungus in the middle of the road.

"Shit. Put your gas masks on, we got spores over here."

We all did as we were told, putting our masks on. They lined the air, even though we were still outside.

"Place is clear." I said, "What if they-"

...

Then there was a large bang to our left. We all looked to find a building with a shut door.

I raised my gun slowly.

Then the door burst open, and a large creature waddled outside, stopping only a few feet in front of us.

...

We all backed up slowly, only to end up hitting a chain link fence.

"What the hell?" Somebody said, but I didn't know who.

Then the creature screamed as it finally noticed our presence.

"Shoot it!" Martinez yelled, as bullets started spraying out of the barrel of his gun. Baker and Jackson followed suit, but I just stood there, to terrified to do anything.

The creature started tearing a part of its body off, actually flinging it straight at us. We all rolled out of the way, encircling the thing, shell casings falling all over the place.

"How the hell do you kill this thing?!" Baker yelled, loading another magazine into his rifle.

"Just shut up and shoot!" I yelled back, firing three bullets into its head. That only seemed to piss it off, as it turned and hobbled towards me.

I ran, obviously, as it collapsed into a crate, smashing it. This thing was tough as nails, it literally ate bullets.

Finally after more spraying, it finally collapsed onto the ground. Baker was nearly out of ammo, and the rest of us barely had enough to fill one mag.

"Is everyone okay?" Martinez asked.

"I'm good." Baker said.

"Same here." Jackson said.

But I said nothing.

...

I could only stare down at the creature at my feet, thinking.

We were set up again.

"Brad, you good?" Martinez asked me.

I nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Take some time to relax," Martinez said, "Woo, that was tough."

"What the hell is it?" Jackson said, nudging the head with his foot.

"This is a Bloater." I started, "This poor guy has been infected for over a decade."

"Yeesh." Baker said.

"Guys," Jackson said, "We need to get out of here. Now."

"Why?" Martinez asked, but his answer would come in the form of a screech.

...

Oh goddammit.

More infected.

"Run. Get back to the RV point." Martinez said, taking off back down the alley. All of us followed directly behind him.

Infected had swarmed the area, and of course they did. We had caused so much noise that it would be insane for one not to hear it.

As soon as everyone had gotten out of the alley, Martinez and Baker pushed a large trash bin in front of the fence gate, nobody was getting in or out.

We ran down the street towards the Humvee we took here, only to find it gone.

"Ah, fuck you!" Baker screamed.

"What do we do now?" Jackson said.

"We hold them off." I said, pulling my gun up to my chest.

"Are you fucking crazy?!" Baker yelled at me, "We can't hold off all of these guys."

"Well, what fucking choice do we have?!" I yelled right back, standing straight in his face.

"Hey!" Martinez yelled, "Both of you calm the fuck down. You're on the same side."

Baker shook his head, "No. Ever since this fucking guy showed up, things have been going to shit. Watts is dead, Milwaukee is gone, half of Providence is fucking dead, who knows what's going to happen next."

He would find out immediately, because I punched him square in the face as soon as he finished. Martinez tried to stop me, but he didn't.

"WHO THE FUCK YOU THINK YOU ARE!?" I screamed, not caring who heard, "You think you can just put all of this shit on me because your friend is fucking dead! NO! Man the fuck up, Baker! Get over it! Shit happens and you move on! You think Watts' didn't affect me to?!"

Martinez and Jackson pulled me back before I could do anything else.

The infected had almost gotten over the fence. Thankfully they had taken only the alleyway.

I started to turn around, "Call in an evac. I'll distract these fucks."

I took off down the street.

* * *

As it turns out, there were quite literally dozens of infected in the area we had just left."

Runners, Stalkers, Clickers, and thankfully no Bloaters lined the area. None of them noticed me on a roof, which was good. It had been about ten minutes until I took off running, and I just noticed that there was a chopper heading straight towards us.

Right on time.

I pulled out a molotov I had found on the roof, unused with a fresh rag inside of it. Whoever had had it last must have never had the chance to use it.

I lit the rag, causing it to ignite, then tossed it down by where the infected were trying to get over the fence. Some caught fire, while other just collapsed.

The chopper had arrived, and it landed in the middle of the street.

"Brad, come on! We're getting out of here." Martinez said over the radio, but then the terrible happened. The infected found another way through. They nearly got to the chopper before it lifted off.

"Shit! Hold on!" I heard the pilot on the radio, trying to fly around to take out some of the infected, but it didn't help.

...

They tried flying down low enough so the infected couldn't reach, and they barely did.

Unfortunately, the only way I would make it on is if I jumped.

And if I missed, I was dead.

"Come on!" Martinez said, ready at the door to catch me if I narrowly missed.

...

Well, shit.

Decision time.

...

Either jump with a fifty percent chance of death, or don't with a near one-hundred percent chance of death.

Of course, I took the worse odds of survival.

I shook my head, "Go." Was all I said before running off.

"Brad, what the fuck are you doing?!" Martinez yelled.

"Making sure you guys don't get killed." I said back.

"Get your ass back over here! We're not leaving you!"

"Martinez, listen to me." I said, "If I miss that jump I'm dead. Get out of here while you can."

"Brad, I'm-"

"Dammit, Martinez!" I yelled, I waved towards the pilot, "Go! Get the hell out of here!"

Martinez noticed what I was doing, trying to get the pilots to stop, but he was too late. They were already flying away.

"Martinez, do me a favor. Keep Ellie and Riley safe for me, alright?"

I smiled, I didn't wait for an answer, "Stalker 5-4 out."

Then I shut the radio off, sighing with relief.

I heard footsteps behind me, then everything went dark.

* * *

"Turn the fuck around, now!" Martinez yelled at the top of his lungs. They were already almost back, so no matter what he said would make them listen.

"It's too risky. We'll head back once the infected clear out."

"They're not going to clear out. Brad was still fucking there."

As soon as Martinez said that last sentence, he was pulled back from behind, being thrown into a seat.

"What the fuck is your problem?" He said, standing right in the guy's face, not knowing who it was. But when that man lowered his mask, Martinez backed down.

"Sorry sir. I didn't know it was you."

Merrick snorted, "Of course you didn't."

They were right outside the zone's walls by that time, and soon they were landing.

As soon as they landed, they were greeted by Elias.

He immediately noticed they were one man down.

"Sir," Martinez started, "We have to go back as soon as possible. One of our men is still out there and we're not going to leave him behind."

Elias smiled, for some reason, "That's very admirable of you," he said, placing his hand on Martinez's shoulder, "But your friend isn't there anymore."

Martinez's face changed, "What?" By this time, Jackson had exited and was standing next to him, while Baker stormed off.

"We lost contact with Brad about ten minutes ago. I'm sorry boys, but Brad is now M.I.A."

...

Those three letters.

They were small, but yet they had so much meaning.

M.I.A. Missing in action.

...

Translation: They have no fucking clue if he is alive or not.

"Thank you, sir." Martinez said, walking away, Jackson was right behind him.

"Goddammit," Jackson said, looking down, "We should've helped him distract the infected."

Martinez just shook his head, "I know, Mike. I know."

* * *

**(Riley)**

They had just landed as we walked by.

We noticed four soldiers exit, but there was one problem.

...

Brad was not among them.

"Something's not right." I said to Ellie, who was standing to my right.

She had noticed it too, "Yeah. Where's Brad? I never saw him get off."

"Let's go find out."

We didn't need to go too far before running into Martinez. He looked upset, and the guy next to him looked the same way.

"Hey," I said as we walked up to them. Martinez looked up at us when I spoke.

"What do you want?" He said, his tone being kind of angry.

"We noticed Brad wasn't with you when you got back. Is he okay?"

He looked back down, then looked back up at us, "You really want to know?"

"Yes." I said, my concern only growing worse.

He sighed, "Brad stayed back."

I was shocked, "What?"

"Infected were everywhere. Brad would've had to jump of off a roof if he wanted to make it on board with us. If he didn't make it, he would've been dead."

"Holy shit." Ellie muttered, then I spoke up, "Why did he stay back?"

"He went to distract some of the infected, but it didn't work. They found another way through, nearly took us down."

"So you just left him there? He could have died." Ellie suddenly said.

"It wasn't my choice. He told us to leave."

"No, that's bullshit."

"That's war, kid!" He suddenly snapped, "Not everybody makes it out. What don't you get about that?"

He sighed again, "Look, if I know Brad enough, he would've found a way out. The bastard always does."

He walked away, the other soldier following him.

"What the hell? I can't believe they would do that."

I didn't say anything, only thinking.

...

What's going to happen now, if Brad was gone?

Jesus, this wasn't good.

"I don't know, Ellie," I said, "I really don't."

* * *

**(Brad)**

**The next day**

I had no idea how long I had been out, but when I woke up, my mask was gone, and my gear and weapons were taken.

...

I did, however, hear voices.

But first, what my cell was like.

...

Yeah, a cell. What else were you expecting?

Well, the floor was hard, concrete actually, and there was nothing else in the room. The voices came from behind a close door, the door having muffled what they were saying.

Suddenly, as if by magic they heard me, the door finally opened.

"Good morning," a man said, and I recognized the voice immediately.

...

It was Joel. The man I had saved just yesterday.

You see, this is what you get when you play good guy.

"The hell do you want?" I said, the tone of my voice clearly showing that I was pissed.

"Nothing. We just want to talk." A woman said this time, and she walked in the room. It was Tess, who had been with Joel.

Once again, this is what happens when you play good guy.

"That's not nothing." I said back to her.

"Look kid, this isn't anything personal, okay? We're not your enemies here."

"Oh really?" I said, standing up, "Then why don't you let me out of this cell, huh? Apparently, we're best friends, so why don't you do me a favor?"

"We can't do that." Joel said, "A friend of ours wants to talk to you. They're on their way here right now."

I swear, everything these two say got me even more pissed, and I don't know why. It might be the fact that they set up my friends for death, and now were holding me prisoner, even after I saved their lives.

"First of all," Joel said, "What is a kid like you doing with a military group?"

"The fuck do you care, old man?" I said, earning a warning look.

"Well, kids your age aren't supposed to be fighting wars like yours."

I smiled, "At least you have some decency."

"Tess," Joel said, but Tess waved him off.

...

Then someone else knocked on the door, and Tess smiled.

"Our friend is here to see you now."

Then the door opened, and I was shocked.

...

It was Marlene. Queen Firefly.

"You're working with this scumbag?!" I yelled, standing up.

"It's just business, kid. You'll never understand."

"I fucking trusted you!"

"That's your fault." Tess said, shutting the door.

...

Yeah, it was my fault.

...

And suddenly it was me, and my archenemy in the same room.

If I had any weapon, she would probably be dead by now.

...

Goddammit. I never get a fucking break, do I?

"Just kill me," I said, "I'm already dead."

She shook her head, "No. You're way too valuable to lose."

"That doesn't sound promising."

"Listen to me, kid. I know you're keeping someone immune within your walls."

...

That made my stomach drop, and she noticed.

How the hell did they know?

They couldn't have possibly found out.

...

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said, stepping away from the walls of the cage.

"Oh come on, do you think I'm stupid? I know Ellie Williams is immune, and you can't deny that."

...

She was right. I couldn't.

Because every word she was saying was true.

Well, fuck.

"You're not going to get her. Not now, or ever."

She laughed, "Oh, we'll see about that."

She called into the hallway, "Our prisoner's going to need a ride."

Two Fireflies walked in, opening the cage, keeping guns on me, one had a syringe.

"What the hell are you doing?" I said, as one rolled up my sleeve and injected me with something.

I began feeling tired, and I realized it was a tranquilizer.

"Where should we take him, ma'am?" One said to Marlene, just as my eyes closed.

"New York City," Was the last thing I heard.

* * *

**(Riley)**

**The next day**

It was late at night. The sky was clear, and the guards were down. It was perfect for a little trip down memory lane for Ellie and I.

...

Take a wild guess of what it was.

...

If you guessed stargazing, you were right.

We had found a rooftop not to far from the wall that was perfect(They let people outside of the walls, but only in a certain area). Added bonus, no infected, Fireflies, or Feds. It was just me and her.

"This brings back memories, doesn't it?" She said as we walked across rooftops.

I smiled, "Yeah, it does."

We finally made it to the spot we had found, and we laid down side-by-side. We were silent for about ten minutes, until Ellie spoke first.

"Have you heard anything about Brad?"

I shook my head, "No. They say they went back to the area, but he was long gone."

"So, is he dead?"

"They don't know."

She was silent for a little bit, "I can't believe he's actually gone."

I smiled, "You act as if you're in love with the guy."

She smacked my arm in response, "You wish. You'd still have to put up with me anyway."

"True. I would keep getting dragged into your messes."

"Oh, ha ha." She said, and I laughed.

I really missed this, when I was with the Fireflies.

It was times like these when I loved her the most.

...

We were quiet for another ten minutes or so, until Ellie curled up closer to me.

"I really missed this." She said, placing her head on my shoulder.

I smiled, "Me too."

...

She looked up at me, "I love you Riley."

"I love you too."

She was about to kiss me, but I heard something.

Or really, someone.

...

She frowned at me, "What's wrong?"

I shushed her, listening carefully.

"We have to go. Now." I said, and she didn't hesitate to get up and take off.

There were voices behind us, but we ignored them. We just kept on running. Soon, the walls were in our sights.

...

Then it hit me.

And then I was falling, my eyes barely staying open. I heard Ellie yell for me, but I was too tired to respond. She even tried dragging me along.

...

Then they showed up.

They being the Fireflies.

I knew they were looking for us.

"Leave us alone!" Ellie said, but they ignored her.

"Shut up," They said, grabbing her arm, she tried fighting back, but couldn't.

"What about the other one?"

"Leave her. Marlene said only the redhead."

Ellie was squirming, "No! Let me go, you assholes!" then she yelled, "Riley!"

I could barely see, but I tried reaching out for them, but they were already long gone.

One word escaped my lips as they walked away.

"No."

* * *

"Over here!" Someone yelled, waking me up.

"Riley, hey, you okay?" I heard a familiar voice say. When my eyes did open, it was Martinez.

"We heard screams overnight, they didn't let us go until now. What the hell happened?"

"Ellie," was all I said.

"What about her? Is she okay?"

"They took her."

He was shocked. "What?"

"They took her. She's gone." I curled my knees up to my chest, "It's all my fault."

Martinez grabbed my shoulder and led me back to the wall, "We'll get this sorted out. Don't worry."

* * *

"They did what?" Elias said, his face showing pure rage.

"They must have gotten in overnight. There were no guards on the south wall."

"And why the hell is that, Sergeant?"

"I don't know, sir."

Elias turned away from him, then looked at me, "You. What were you thinking, going outside the walls at night?"

"I'm sorry. I thought we would be safe if we were still close."

"Well, now look at what you've done. We just lost the damn cure because of you."

"Well then let me help get her back."

Elias sighed, "I can't do that. Only Ghosts will be out there looking for her."

I didn't think before saying what I said next.

"Then let me join."

Elias and Martinez looked at me like I was crazy.

"You want to join the Ghosts? Kid, how old are you?"

"I'm sixteen. I finished all of my military training at the school. I'll do anything you say."

I took a step forward, "Please. I'll do anything to get her back."

Elias considered this, then looked at Martinez, "Your squad is a man down, right?"

He nodded.

"Then you're in charge of this. Make sure she's ready."

"Yes sir," then he looked at me, "Are you sure about this?"

I nodded, "Yes."

Then he smiled, "Good. We start tomorrow, bright and early. Meet me at the western wall, and we'll begin."

I nodded, "Okay."

He walked away, leaving me with Elias.

"Thank you," I said, and before I walked out, I stopped, "Sir."

I knew he smiled at that.

And with that, I left.

* * *

**Bet you didn't see any of that coming, did you?**

**Anyways, thanks for the support. I will most likely put up Part 2 of Nightmares next, then the next actual chapter. To anyone who asks, I don't think I will include Joel or Tess majorly anymore, but that can change.**

**Thanks once again, make sure to leave a review, and I will see you later.**

**-Broncozfan623**


	10. New Blood-Family Reunion

**Surprise! You thought this would be Nightmare Pt.2, but I decided to not put it in this story. Instead, I decided that I will upload the Nightmare chapters separately, probably when this story is finished. Sorry about that.**

**Also, sorry this took so long. I've been very busy, especially since the Broncos won the Super Bowl. On another note, I'm planning a Kingdom Hearts fanfic right now, but I don't plan to start that until this and Love Isn't Good Enough are finished.**

**Now, just a quick explanation in what happened last chapter if you were confused at all. Brad was captured by Joel and Tess, who made a deal with the Fireflies to trade Brad in exchange for weapons. The Fireflies received intel that Ellie Williams was immune and still in Boston, source of the intel is unknown. Two days after Brad was captured, the Fireflies kidnapped Ellie as she tried to escape with Riley. Riley was shot with a tranquilizer and left behind. The Ghosts found Riley unconscious in the middle of the street outside of the quarantine zone's southern wall. She was brought in and volunteered to join the Ghosts' ranks and help find Ellie, whatever the cost.**

**Now, you may continue.  
**

* * *

**(Riley)**

Day 3 as a Ghost already.

...

It's been pretty rough, my initiation here was a lot different than when I was with the Fireflies.

Martinez focused more on my fighting than anything else. He taught me how to improve my aim, how to fight off somebody at close, as well as showed me how to handle standard issue weapons.

Today though, he was going to teach me on stealth.

If you don't know already, Ghosts like to fight in the darkness. We've used stealth to fight the Feds and Fireflies since the day of the outbreak.

Unfortunately for me, I wasn't very good at it.

* * *

I landed back on the ground hard, the rifle I was holding sliding off above my head.

Martinez stood over me, reaching down to help me up.

"That's twice," He said, "You have to be aware of your surroundings. Use them to your advantage."

I sighed, picking up my rifle, "You make it sound so easy."

"You'll get the hang of it, eventually." He responded, then started walking away, "Let's try this again. You know what to do."

He walked a away, leaving me alone.

...

What the hell did I get myself into? When I met Brad two weeks ago, I never would've thought that I had said the words I said to Elias three days ago.

But hey, if I wanted to get Ellie back, this was the only option.

I shook my head, heading off into the darkness of the store we were in. Martinez was constantly strolling down the aisles, and all I had to do was get the jump on him.

But I failed to do that. Twice.

But this time I had a plan. I climbed up on top of some of the shelves, just outside of Martinez's vision. As he walked by, I was going to jump down and pin him. I'm sure he would be shocked by that.

I was waiting for him to pass by, and soon enough, he was almost to me.

...

When he reached me, I jumped.

He didn't see it coming.

He immediately dropped his own rifle, and before he knew what was going on, my pistol was placed on his temple.

He laughed, "Not bad," shoving me off, "How did you do even that?"

I smiled, nodding towards the shelves, "I used my surroundings."

He chuckled again, "Nice job. Can't say I'm not impressed." He led me out of the store, "Come on, we have to head back."

I nodded following him out, after about five minutes of silence he spoke.

"Hey, what made you decide to join the Ghosts?"

"What do you mean?"

"I was just curious."

I hesitated, then responded, "Well, I just really wanted to get Ellie back."

"What's the deal with you two anyway? You been friends for a while?"

"You can say that."

He raised an eyebrow, "So what, is she just your friend, or?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Hey," he said, raising his arms in defense, "I'm just curious, that's all."

I laughed, "Well, I'd rather not talk about it. At least, not now."

He smiled, "Fine by me."

We reached the Humvee we had taken to get to the store, us two getting in and driving away.

Martinez started again, "Listen Riley, the only reason I asked what I did is because, well, most people just show up at the zone's walls and instantly want to become one of us."

He looked at me, "But you, you didn't. Before Ellie got taken away, you looked as if you wanted no part in any of this. But when she did taken away, you were eager to take up arms and go fight."

"What are you saying?" I asked.

He shrugged, "I don't know really." He paused, "What made you want to fight? Was it Ellie?"

I hesitated, "Yeah, it was."

He nodded, "You must really care for one another." I shrugged.

We reached the QZ, the gate opening as we drove up. Martinez parked the Humvee with the others. We both got out, heading towards the armory.

"You know, you two are lucky." He said out of nowhere.

"How?"

He turned around to me, "You have somebody to care about. Someone to fight for."

"I'm guessing you don't?"

He shook his head, "Nope. I mean, Jackson has his sister, Baker had Watts, Brad, well, I don't really know who or what Brad fights for."

He laughed, "That guy, I never know what the fuck goes on in his mind."

"What do you mean?" I said, catching up and walking next to him. I didn't know Brad very well, compared to Martinez.

"Brad just always seems to have a solution for everything. Whenever the odds ever turn against you, he pulls a foolproof plan out of nowhere. He's one of the best soldiers I've ever seen, like he was born to be one."

"What do you think Brad fights for?"

He shrugged, "Who knows. It could be one thing one day, and it would be something else the next. No matter what, there is something to fight for to him."

We reached the armory, Martinez opening the door and leading us in.

"I do know one thing," Martinez said, "Brad really cares about what happens to you and Ellie. It's why he pulled his gun on us the day you met him."

My eyes widened, "How do you know that?"

He smiled, "It was obvious. You may not have noticed, or may not care, but Brad cares about you two. I don't know why, and I probably never will."

He noticed my expression, and laughed, "You surprised?"

"Yeah, I guess."

He laughed again, "Don't let it get to your head. We're not done today."

He opened another door, which led to a room filled with even more weapons.

"You've worked with our standard issue weapons already," Martinez started, "But they're like pellet guns compared to these."

He picked up one, a large machine gun, then set it down on the table, "This is an LSAT, the best heavy weapon we have. Our heavy weapons guys love these things, as it's easy to carry and very effective. You can spray down a whole horde of infected with one of these things."

He grabbed something else, a grenade launcher, "Another thing we all love is this, called a MK32. It can fire frags, or Semtex."

"What the hell is Semtex?"

"Pretty much a jacked-up frag grenade. Unlike frags, they stick to objects such as walls, vehicles, and even people. Bastards are deadly."

He put the launcher down, walking over and grabbing a rocket launcher this time, "This," he said, "Is an acronym you never want to hear. This is an RPG, or Rocket Propelled Grenade. These things are our worst nightmare."

"Why's that?"

"It's simple. We got a vehicle, they got an RPG, take a guess at who wins."

"I'm guessing they do."

He snapped his finger, "Bingo, these things are easy to use, its why they're so popular."

I smiled, "Yet, we keep them."

"Exactly. With this, it's 'Let it fly and hope they die', and most of the time, they do."

He put the RPG away, smiling, "Thankfully, RPGs aren't lock on, so they," he was interrupted by screaming outside.

"Shit." He said, walking out of the room and outside, myself right behind him. When we got outside, soldiers were running towards two Humvees that just arrived back in the zone. When some opened the doors to the Humvees, soldiers would limply fall out.

"What the hell happened?" Martinez asked one soldier, who had walked out of one Humvee unharmed.

"We were patrolling down in Foxborough when the Feds ambushed us. We were heading up here from Providence, then they attacked out of nowhere."

"What the hell were you heading up from Providence for?"

"Transfer. They said they had everything under control after the Europeans attacked, so they sent us here."

Martinez cursed under his breath, then sent him off.

"I have a feeling that Merrick and Elias are going to send us in."

He turned around, noticing my reaction, and smiled.

"Well, guess you're starting early, rookie." He punched me lightly on the shoulder, "Don't worry. This will be a breeze."

He turned around, running away from me, "Get geared up, I'll go talk with them."

...

Then he was gone.

I was completely taken away by what he said.

We're already going out there? I mean, it's not like I wasn't ready.

Okay, I wasn't, but I wasn't going to admit that.

...

I shook my head.

Hey, if I wanted to get Ellie back, I would do anything I could.

* * *

**(Brad)**

**Undisclosed Location**

I woke with a bag over my head, so my eyesight was blocked when I finally awoke again. I heard someone speak, and footsteps come to right in front of me. Suddenly, the bag was removed, and I could see that the person was a Firefly.

...

What a fucking surprise.

"Good morning," I said, not earning a response. There was two in two corners of the room I was in, and I could only assume two more were behind. I was tied up to a chair in the middle of the room, like I was going to try anything.

And no, I wasn't going to try anything. I knew better than that.

"Where are we?" I asked one of the Fireflies, who had been staring blankly into space the whole time. He looked as if he was barely older than me.

"I can't tell you that." Was what he said, not moving an inch.

"Why not?" I asked again.

The first one was about to speak, but one of the others interrupted before he could start.

"Shut up. No talking with the prisoner."

I smiled, "Just trying to be friendly." And the room fell back into silence.

It gave me time to think.

...

About everything that had happened.

Goddamn, I hope everyone back in the zone was okay. Martinez, Baker, Jackson, Riley.

Ellie.

...

Oh fuck. I forgot about Ellie.

Marlene had said back in Boston that she knew Ellie was immune.

What if they got her? Took her away?

...

No. They couldn't have.

It's nearly impossible to sneak inside the zone, and if you do, you would get caught.

...

I thought I would find out sooner or later, but not immediately after I thought about it.

Because Marlene walked in the room.

"Finally decided to wake up."

I clenched my fists, "Where the hell am I?"

She walked towards me, "Don't worry about it. You'll find out sooner or later."

She crouched on one knee in front of me, "All I want is for you to tell me about Ellie."

"You know I'm not telling you a damn thing."

"No? Let's see if I can change that."

She pulled out what looked like a small video camera, and flipped the screen towards me.

The video played.

And what saw shocked me.

...

It was Ellie and Riley.

Outside the walls.

At night.

Of all the times for them to be outside, it had to be then.

Fucking kids.

...

But what's worse is that the Fireflies were there. Riley had been knocked out, and Ellie couldn't escape.

...

No.

..

NO!

Anger, rage, and hatred rose through me all at once, as I shook my head.

"No," I said, and Marlene smiled, "God fucking dammit!" I lunged at her, but I was tied down, so that was worthless.

...

I had never wanted to kill anyone more than right then and there.

And that would be shattered later on.

...

"You ready to talk now?" Marlene said.

"Go fuck yourself," I said, staring down at the floor. "You, and all your fucking people."

"That's not very nice coming from a kid."

I lunged again, not saying anything. She was smiling the whole time, and it made me even more pissed.

"I said it once, and I will say it again. You're getting nothing from me."

Marlene's smile finally faded, and she nodded towards one of her soldiers. He walked up to me, butting the stock of his rifle in my face, knocking me out.

* * *

**(Riley)**

It had been about ten minutes until I was done.

...

And let me tell you, I felt weird.

Looking in the mirror, seeing myself in body armor, with black and white marks all over my face. I felt like a different person.

Just a week ago, I was a Firefly, about to leave my best friend for another state.

Now, I was a Ghost, ready to hunt down the people that took her away from me.

...

The people I had trained with.

The ones I had dreamed of being apart of, like my father.

I feel like I let my father down. Joining the Fireflies, only to leave them and join their worst enemies.

...

Oh well. This was for Ellie.

I was going to get her back.

Nothing would stop me.

...

I grabbed the rifle that I had propped up against the wall, walking outside to meet with Martinez and the rest. They were waiting outside, all standing in a circle. Martinez was the first to notice me.

"There's the new blood," he said, patting my shoulder, "You look badass."

I smiled, "Thanks, I guess."

He laughed, "Come on. I'm gonna go over the plan with Baker and Jackson."

He led me over to where he was originally standing, Baker and Jackson greeting me.

"Alright, now that everyone's here, let's go over this. The soldiers that showed up earlier said that they were attacked in Wrentham, just west of Foxborough. We're going to fly in by air, while a few squads go in with Humvees on the ground."

"Any idea where they could be hiding?" Baker asked.

"No clue. Most likely the local high school. It makes the most sense."

"Then what the hell are we waiting for?" Jackson said, "Let's go kick some ass."

Martinez shook his head, but he smiled. "You're always wanting to jump straight into the fight, aren't you?" Jackson just laughed.

...

I was silent during the whole exchange.

Martinez noticed this, and nudged my shoulder, "You okay?"

I shrugged, "Just a little nervous."

"Don't worry," Baker said, "It happened to all of us. Well, except Brad."

"Let's not talk about Brad," Martinez interrupted, "We need to focus on the task at hand. We're heading out now."

Sure enough, choppers were whirling their blades, readying for takeoff. We all piled inside one, Baker and Jackson on one side, Martinez and I on the other.

...

This was it.

This is the beginning.

* * *

_**"New Blood/Family Reunion"**_

**July 14, 2033, 09:51:35**

**Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America**

**Private Riley Abel, Task Force: STALKER**

**Status: Alive**

* * *

**Loadout:**

**Primary:** _SC-2010 Assault Rifle w/ Red Dot Sight_

**Primary(Jackson):** _M27 Light Machine Gun w/ Holographic Sight_

**Secondary(Baker):**_MR28 Marksman Rifle Silenced_  


**Sidearm(Riley):** _Beretta Model 70 Pistol_

**Sidearm(Rest):** _P226 Handgun_

* * *

The flight to where the Feds were at was short, but was cool nonetheless. We flew passed this massive stadium on the way there, the sign saying _"Gillette Stadium: Home of the New England Patriots"_. I wish I could've been around before the outbreak, that would've been cool to see.

Martinez pointed it out as well, "My parents told me stories about them," he said, "They were one of the best teams in the league, winning three Super Bowls in four years. It sounds awesome, only wish I could've been there to see it."

I smiled, "I can't argue with that."

It was a short conversation, but it was something. Other than that, the ride was boring, nobody saying a word.

"Thirty seconds." The pilots said on our radios, and the butterflies in my stomach returned.

Martinez turned to me, "Let's do this." He said, pulling his mask down over his face.

Then someone yelled through our radios.

...

The one acronym you never wanted to hear. Ever.

It's what Martinez told me killed more soldiers than any other heavy weapon since the outbreak.

...

Someone out of nowhere yelled, "RPG!"

And hell unfolded.

One of the Humvees we had on the ground suddenly exploded, making the one behind it have to swerve to get around.

The Feds had come out of hiding, and they were ready for a fight.

We were flown down towards the end of one street, far from the Fed line. We all dismounted, only to find that the Feds had soldiers in every direction around their line.

I ducked behind an old car with Martinez, bullets flying over our heads. Jackson and Baker were next to another car across the street, Jackson firing at the Feds with his machine gun.

"The Feds have got us pinned tight." Martinez said.

"No shit, genius!" Baker yelled, standing up, firing off a couple of shots, then crouching back down.

"What the hell are we going to do?" Jackson yelled, "We're not moving anytime soon."

Suddenly, one Fed ran up right past us, not noticing us. I shoot him, causing his body to fall limply in front of us all.

"First kill," Martinez said, "Nice one, new blood."

"Would you quit calling me that."

"Forget about it, we need to move."

Jackson fired off two more rounds, "They're almost on top of us! I suggest you guys stop dicking around and get into the fight."

He was right, the Feds were only a few feet away from us. The only thing stopping them from advancing was Jackson, and he couldn't hold them off forever.

...

So Martinez acted.

"Follow me," He said, running to the side into one of the buildings.

"What are you doing?" Baker said, firing off three rounds. You know, it was crazy that they hadn't sent us anybody else to help out.

I couldn't complain though, because everybody else was fighting on the Fed frontline.

This was not going so well.

"Shut up and come on." He said through the radio. I followed inside with Baker, while Jackson covered our backs. He slammed the door shut behind us.

...

"They see us coming in?" Martinez asked Jackson.

"No reason to say they didn't." Was the response.

"Then watch the door. Riley, Baker, I want you two to go on the roof and flank these guys. Stay towards the center, so they won't see you fro the streets."

"Got it," Baker said, "Let's go."

And we left.

Getting to the roof was simple. All we really had to do was climb the fire escape on the back of the store we were in. Baker led the way, until we eventually found the frontline.

The Feds were holding strong. They had a few men get shot every so often, but they were holding from our assault pretty easily.

That would all change pretty soon.

"Bastards think they can win this fight." He pulled his rifle off of his back, "Let's change that."

"You really think you can take 'em down without them seeing you?"

He smiled, "You underestimate me, Riley."

He fired one shot, a Fed went down.

Then another.

And another.

And another.

And another.

They didn't even notice.

...

Well, they did.

Eventually.

But by that time, we had busted through their defenses and were heading towards the high school. Martinez and Jackson had met back up with us on the roof.

"How did things go?" Martinez had asked.

"Perfect," Baker said, "Bastards never saw us coming."

Martinez smiled, "Good," He turned towards me, "How you holding up."

"Just fine." Was my response.

He nodded, then pulled me over to the side, "So, you're okay with all of this? You're not hesitated to kill these people."

I thought about it, then nodded, "A little."

He smiled, "Good."

"Why is that good?"

"You hesitate to kill your enemies. To kill another person. That doesn't make you a bad soldier or person, and don't let anyone think that. They may be our enemies, but they're still human."

He turned around, "Keep that in your head."

* * *

**(Brad)**

I woke back up, only to wish I hadn't.

There was somebody sitting right in front of me. I couldn't see who it was, but they seemed like a threat.

"Marlene wants to kill you, you know." The person said.

I had my head lowered, staring at the floor, "Doesn't surprise me. She should just do it."

"You really want that?"

I scoffed, "Who cares," I sat up and looked at the person, "Not like anybody cares about me."

The person, a man, laughed, "Oh, you can't honestly think that."

"Trust me," I said, "I've got nothing in this world. Anyone I give the slightest fuck about is dead or missing."

The man sat up straight, "What if I told you that someone that cared about you, someone you thought was long gone, is here. Right in front of you."

I laughed, "You're kidding. Unless the Ghosts are here to get me out of this shithole, then you're crazy."

"Oh kid, I'm anything but."

"Then prove it to me, mystery man."

He stood up then, walked over towards the door.

...

The lights went on.

And I wished they hadn't.

There was four people in total, three I couldn't have seen in the darkness.

...

I recognized them.

I wish I hadn't.

"It's us, Brad." The man had said, "We're back."

...

No.

Fucking.

Way.

...

In order, from left to right. Amy, my sister. Charles, my father. Dawn, my mother. And Zak, my brother.

All standing before me.

I was in utter disbelief.

...

Then rage started to overtake me.

"You." I started, grinding my teeth.

"It's okay, Brad." Amy walked up to me, "We're here for you now."

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" I screamed at her, making her back off.

"You left me to die. You abandoned me."

Amy looked as if she was about to cry, I could see the tears forming in her eyes through my rage.

"We didn't have a choice." Charles said, "We had orders to follow."

"Orders," I laughed, maniacally. I was going insane, just the sight of them was going to make me snap.

"You always cared about orders more than me, General."

"Don't call me 'General'. I'm your fath-,"

"Oh, save me the bullshit. What the fuck did you expect from me? Like I was going to be happy you all were here. No."

I paused for a second. "You have no idea what I've been through since you abandoned Charlotte. Not one clue."

Zak decided to test me, "Like what? What did you see?"

I shook my head, smiling, "You didn't change one bit. You want the long version, or the short?"

"Short."

"You ever seen someone get ripped apart by infected? Or burned alive by hunters?"

"No."

"Have you ever seen hundred of dead bodies, spread throughout the street, before you?"

The same answer, "No."

"I got another one. Have you seen a man have to kill his own brother, who got infected trying to escape Pittsburgh, then take his own life?"

"No. I haven't."

I shook my head, "Figures. I saw all of it. First hand, right before my eyes. There isn't one day when I don't think about those people that died, whether or not I killed them, or they got killed while with me. Hell, even the ones that I saw on the road, having been dead for years."

I looked down to the floor again, "It stays there in my mind, and I can never get it out."

...

There was silence.

"It's your fault. All of you."

I looked up at me, "You turned me into this."

...

They were all silent. Charles and Dawn continued to stare down at me, while Zak was trying to comfort Amy, who was crying.

I felt no pain, or pity.

Then Marlene walked inside, two Fireflies with her.

"Take him away." She said, pointing to me, "This sort of anger and rage will be good for us."

Amy looked up at her, "You're not going to-?"

Marlene only nodded.

"Ma'am, this kid is near insane," Charles started, "If he goes through those trials, it will only get worse. He'll kill everyone, including, maybe, himself."

Marlene only shook her head, "Trust me on this. This kid is strong. Based on what I heard, nobody else I know would be here going through what he did."

I wanted to listen to the rest of the conversation, but I was losing consciousness.

...

And I passed out again.

With only one thought in my mind.

...

Three words.

_Kill._

_Them._

_All._

* * *

**Weapons Acquired:** L115 Sniper Rifle Silenced ****(Riley, Baker)****

* * *

**(Riley)**

It's been hours, yet the Feds didn't budge.

We sent two waves every hour, only to be held off and forced to regroup. We had few casualties, but the Feds were overwhelming us.

Lucky for my squad and I, we had a new plan.

It was nighttime, so Martinez wanted to use it for our advantage.

He wanted some of us to watch on some rooftops near the high school with snipers, while the rest snuck in. I was with Baker on one roof, waiting for the go ahead.

While we waited, Baker spoke up, "How's your first day going?"

I shrugged, "About what I expected."

"What did you expect?"

"Pretty much everything that's happened. Full on assault, and if that doesn't work, stealth."

He laughed, "Yeah, that's pretty much how it works, sometimes the other way around."

"I can see that."

We both laughed, then Baker looked at me, "So, why did you join the Ghosts?"

"I just wanted to get Ellie back. It's my fault that she got kidnapped, and I'll do anything I can to help."

He nodded, "You must really care about her."

"I do." I said without thinking.

"That's good to know. To be honest, I don't have a good reason for joining. I was kind of on my own, until this guy, Watts, saved me. He convinced me to go with him to the Ghosts, and I've been with them ever since."

"What happened to Watts."

As soon as I said that, I regretted it. Baker looked mortified to answer, but he did anyway. "He died about two weeks ago. Brad was on a mission with him to break into the Fed military school, when Watts got shot by some hunters."

Baker hesitated, "He didn't make it. He bled out."

"I'm sorry."

"So am I."

Just then, the signal came through, giving us the go ahead.

"Alright," Baker said, "Remember, aim high, towards the chest or head, and make sure they're away from the edges and out of sight from the others. We cannot draw attention, we want our guys to get inside in one piece."

"Got it." I said, taking aim at one of the Feds. They were by themselves, leaning against a wall. He was alone, thankfully.

He was the first one down.

"Good job. Keep it up." Baker had said, firing off another round.

It took five minutes, and the Feds were all dead. Martinez radioed that they were going inside.

They walked straight through the front door of the school, entering slowly.

"What do we do now?" I asked.

"We wait."

I looked at him, "We can't sit out here and wait. What if they get spotted or attacked?"

"Don't worry. We're experts at stealth, remember?"

"Nobody's perfect, Baker. They could screw something up."

"What the hell do you suggest we do, then?"

I looked around the school. The side entrance, where I had killed the first Fed, was still clear.

It gave me an idea.

"We can go through the side, give any help if needed."

"Are you crazy? Command will be on our asses in seconds if we leave here."

I took my radio and shut it off, looking at Baker with a smile. "Every radio has a mute button."

"Are you always going to be this defiant, because I plan on retiring with a clean record."

I laughed, "Don't worry. Just this one time."

He pondered this, then stood up, "Then what are we waiting for?"

We headed down towards the side entrance, Baker making sure that it was clear before entering.

We reached the second floor, noticing the empty hallways and lack of sound.

"It's quiet," I said through my radio. Baker had set up a closed channel for us to use.

"Too quiet," He responded, "Keep your guard up."

I nodded, watching every doorway slowly. It seemed as if nobody was there, until I got grabbed from behind and throw into one of the rooms.

...

Well, shit.

The Feds had been hiding in the darkness, waiting for us to walk past them.

One of them was in front of me, reaching towards his back, pulling out a knife.

He crouched down to stab me in the stomach, but I grabbed his wrist before the blade could make contact.

Eventually, he brought his second hand down, mustering enough strength to push the knife into my stomach.

It hurt, I will admit.

But the lights in the room went on.

And Martinez showed up, right in time.

He yelled my name, then sprayed bullets into the Fed.

"Shit, you're bleeding." He said, tossing his rifle aside, and crouching next to me.

"It looks worse than it actually is. You're going to be fine."

"That's good to hear."

"What the hell are you doing inside?"

"We wanted to help you out, just in case."

He pondered this, then smiled, "Well, I appreciate that. Thanks."

I laughed, "Well, I didn't do a very good job at that."

He laughed with me, lifting me up over his shoulder, "Well, you did go for your first mission. You kicked ass."

"That's good."

We made it outside, being met by Jackson, Martinez, and Merrick, who had just showed up.

"You good?" Baker said to me when we walked up.

I nodded, "Just fine."

Merrick stepped forward, "Good, but I got some news for you."

...

We all looked up at him when he said that.

"Ellie?" I said, hoping that she was alright.

Unfortunately, Merrick shook his head.

"No, I'm sorry. But we received a transmission from New York City that Brad was there. He's been taken prisoner by the Fireflies, and he's going under some weird trials."

...

We were shocked, all of us.

Brad was alive.

"What sort of 'trials'?" I asked.

"The Fireflies have a drug that puts something into the recipients mind. It traumatizes them, making them turn to their side."

"Well, lets go stop them then," Martinez said, "Brad would never join the Fireflies. Besides, he's our friend. We need to help him."

Merrick smiled, "That's exactly what I wanted to hear. You're heading to New York in two days."

He walked away.

...

"Well," Martinez said, "That's that. We better go home, get some rest."

"I couldn't agree more." Jackson said.

We all walked off together.

...

We were one step closer to finding Brad.

And that meant were closer to finding Ellie.

...

'We're coming for you, Ellie.' I said in my mind.

Even though I knew she couldn't, I hoped she heard me.

Wherever she was.

* * *

**Whew****, another one down.**

**I have nothing to say now. So goodbye, and see you next time.**

**-Broncozfan623**


	11. Manhunt

**Hello friends.**

**Yeah, this chapter took a while. I went on vacation to Nevada over spring break and couldn't write any of this, which sucks. Plus, I've had to deal with some losses(I'm a Denver fan, so you may understand), which has been bad.**

**Now, this chapter is pretty crazy. Like, REALLY crazy. This is one of my favorites though. I hope you all will feel the same. Some unexpected characters will be coming into the story in this one. Unfortunately, Brad will not have a POV in this chapter, as I want to focus this on Riley and the team. I apologize if you are upset by that.**

**Now, continue reading.**

* * *

**(Riley)**

Today was the day.

We were heading to New York today. We were supposed to go find Brad, and hopefully, find a source where we could find Ellie.

Jackson and Martinez were pretty optimistic that this was going to work. That we would get Brad from the Fireflies, then rescue Ellie and make the cure, therefore ending the infection, and more than likely the war.

Baker wasn't so sure though. He had grown up in New York and ran away from home to join the Ghosts(at least, that's what he had told me). He hated it there, and vowed when he came to Boston to never come back. So he was a little pissed off and a little nervous all at once.

He would have to get over it, because we had to go there to get back Brad and Ellie. That may make me sound like an asshole, but it was the truth.

You may be wondering how I felt about all of this. Well, to be honest, I was scared.

I mean, what if we got there and Brad was killed by the Fireflies? Or Ellie? What if we get there and it turns out Brad was never there at all? I may be overreacting, but still. I was scared shitless.

Martinez kept my spirits up though.

"He'll be there," he said, "If I know Brad enough, he won't go down easy."

That didn't help though.

And it wouldn't help the rest of us either.

* * *

All of us were geared up and ready to leave for New York. We were waiting outside by the landing pad, where an "osprey" was supposed to take us too New York.

"You still scared?" Martinez asked me.

I shrugged, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Cheer up. Once we get there, this will be a walk in the park."

"You sure about that?" Jackson said from in front of us.

Martinez smiled, "Trust me, it will be."

We heard rotors in the distance, and soon the osprey flew above us.

"Whoever's coming from New York to here is on this thing." Martinez yelled as it touched ground.

"Let's do this!" Jackson said as he ran towards the osprey.

...

Then disaster.

It blew up.

We all were sent flying backwards, and everything went black.

* * *

_Fireflies Headquarters, New York City_

_Undisclosed Location_

The test subject had finally been prepped. If the Fireflies were lucky, he would be on their side as soon as the trials he had run were over.

The lead man on these trials was a former German scientist, who came to the U.S to help the Fireflies with their cause. He had been a top doctor for the 'Flies ever since he joined.

...

You know his name.

...

His name was Edward Richtofen.

"Is everything ready for the trials to start?" He asked his assistant, a newbie by the name of Rhodes.

"Yes sir, we are set to begin the trials on Subject 13 at the time."

"Good. Now please, I would like a minute alone."

Rhodes nodded and left the doctor on his own.

Richtofen then opened the door to the chamber the subject was held, walking up to his side. The subject he had learned was a 17 year old kid, who had fought for the Ghosts before he sacrificed himself so his team could survive.

Richtofen looked down at him, smiling, "You will be our greatest weapon ever. Do not fail me."

Then a click, the sound of a gun being cocked.

"This ain't funny, doc." A voice said in a raspy voice. The doctor did not dare to turn around.

Then a shotgun pumped to his right, and a man with a Russian accent said, "Turn around."

Lastly, footsteps towards his right indicated a third person had entered the room. It was then that Richtofen decided to turn around.

As expected three men were there, all with weaponry pointed directly at him.

They looked...familiar.

"Do you know...who I am?!" He yelled.

"Yeah, we know." The middle one said, an American "That's why you better do exactly as we say."

The one to Richtofen's left took a step forward, "If you do this, there is no turning back. There is a chain of events that must be set in motion." He was the Russian one.

They heard banging from the door where Richtofen had entered. The two men that had spoken went towards it, with weapons ready.

The final one spoke, walking up towards the doctor.

"The future hangs by a thread. You must awaken the test subject." This final one was Japanese, a katana hanging at his belt.

"I will not let my plan fall to the hands of you."

The door opened, Rhodes walking in. He didn't get to react before he was killed by the American. They knew that that would trigger more Fireflies, so they blockaded the door with surrounding furniture.

"Hey Maxis, what ever you're going to do, you better do it fast."

"Maxis?" Richtofen said to himself.

...

The man known as Maxis walked in, standing before the doctor. They had worked together in Germany before the C.B.I outbreak, but Richtofen betrayed Maxis and nearly killed his daughter, Samantha.

"Hello Edward." Maxis said.

Richtofen didn't speak.

...

And out of nowhere, Maxis killed him. One shot to the head.

"Open this door! NOW!" A voice came through from the blockaded door.

"That's not going to hold," The Russian said, "Do what you need to fast."

"Are you even sure this will work?" The American spoke.

Maxis looked up at all of them, shaking his head, "It better."

* * *

_**"Manhunt"**_

**July 16, 2033, 21:06:34**

**New York, New York, United States of America**

**Private Riley Able, Task Force: STALKER**

**Status: Alive**

* * *

**(Riley)**

"Hey! Get up! We need you!"

I woke up, seeing Martinez above me. There was a loud roar, as if we were on a helicopter.

When I sat up, that's exactly what were on.

"Look! You're going to be okay." Martinez started, "Hell, at this point a whole lot better than Baker."

I looked over at Baker, and was taken aback by horror. He had blood all over him, and he had a bandage over his right eye.

"Shit. That explosion took out Jackson, and whole lot of others." Martinez said, his head lowered.

We were all silent.

Jackson was dead.

"But we have a job to do, so were still going to do it."

I nodded, not wanting to speak.

Martinez began, "Look, most people think that the Ghosts have a massive foothold in New York City, but that's not true. We were run out of Manhattan a couple of months ago, and we just got Brooklyn back up and running. Not long ago, the sector in Long Island sent in a wave of troops towards Manhattan in hopes of restoring order."

"What happened to them?" I asked.

"They're all either dead or M.I.A, so this is up to us. And we need to get ourselves together, right now."

"Landing in one minute, you should see it coming up on my right." The pilot said, so we all looked out to the side. You could see the entirety of the New York skyline, with smoke rising from lots of places. One building even had a large tarp that said "PLEASE HELP". These poor people must have gone through hell.

"These people are what's left of the New York National Guard. Like us, they went rogue with the military and tried to start helping their own way. You can see how that turned out. These guys are all we've got for assistance."

The pilot was talking, but I didn't bother to listen. My mind was racing.

Jackson was dead. Baker was beaten to hell. Martinez and I were the only ones who could complete this mission.

And Brad and Ellie were still out there.

Fuck.

"We got three Ghosts on board, on a mission to find one of their own."

Martinez checked the magazine in his rifle and pistol.

"Usually you need a little time to know if you can count on someone. Well, we're out of time. That bet's on you, it has to be. I hope to god I'm right about this."

The chopper landed, two National Guard medics waiting for us. I exited while Martinez helped one medics get Baker off.

"Welcome to Hudson Piers," one said to me, "I don't know what you're looking to get out of this. Everywhere outside of this gate is a goddamn warzone."

"Who's in command here?" Martinez said.

"Captain Sandman was in charge. He was leading ops close to the Dark Zone but we lost contact when he left base this morning. If he's still radio silent by tomorrow there's talk of pulling out."

"Nobody's pulling out here." Baker said out of nowhere, "We're taking this city back."

Martinez walked up to him, "Look, that's not what we're here for, Matt. We're here to get our man back and get the hell out of here."

"Then go!" He yelled, causing Martinez to jump back, "Go find Brad and leave." He stood up, "This place is my home, and it's a shithole."

He grabbed his weapon off of the chopper. "I intend to clean this mess up." He tried to walk off, but Martinez stopped him.

"You're just gonna abandon us?"

Baker shoved his arm away, "I have to do this, man. If somebody doesn't help, this place is going to collapse. I can't let that happen. Merrick will understand, I'm sure of it."

Martinez thought about this, then nodded. He turned to me, "We have a job to do."

"Good luck out there, " one National Guard guy said, "You're gonna need it."

We walked off, until Baker spoke up, "Hey Riley!"

I turned around, seeing Baker smile at me, "Kick some ass for me, okay?"

I nodded, turning back around, heading towards the exit to the city.

There was no turning back now.

* * *

**Loadout:**

**Primary:** _IA2 Marksman Rifle Customized (ACOG, Silencer)_

**Secondary:** _Vector CRB Submachine Gun Customized (EO Tech, Silencer)_

**Sidearm:** _P226 Pistol _

* * *

_Hours later_

The moonlight shone down on me as I stared across at the skyscrapers. The NG had tracked a Firefly asset to an old building close to the Dark Zone, which was pretty much most of the downtown area. This asset was Marlene's second in command in New York, a man by the name of Victor Ramos. We were to find him, get any intel we could about the whereabouts of Brad, then get the hell out.

This wasn't going to be easy, we knew it. But we didn't have any other choice.

This was our only chance.

"Chopper's coming in. Get ready." I heard Martinez say through the radio. He was just below me, but yelling up would give away our position.

My job was to use this special pair of binoculars that would scan somebody's face, showing us who exactly they were. If Ramos wasn't on this chopper, we'd be fucked.

"NG, this is Stalker Five-One. Prepare to receive optical feed."

"Copy, Actual." Baker was the one that was monitoring us.

"Receiving transmission. Cleaning up the signal."

The chopper finally landed on top of the building, the side door opening immediately. Two men got out, so I started to scan.

"Uploading image." Baker said as I scanned the first guy. He wasn't the right one, so I scanned the other one.

His face matched Ramos, so Baker responded, "Target confirmed. Mission is a go."

"Hard copy, NG. Five-One out."

With that, I hopped down the two levels to get to Martinez, finding him with two large zipline launchers. We had to use these two get across to the other building.

"Set up your launcher and check your chute for exfil." Martinez said, setting up his own launcher.

"You upset about any of this? With Jackson dying, and Baker not coming with us to leave."

"Of course I am, but that doesn't matter right now. No matter what, we are going to complete this mission."

We had set up our launchers, aiming them towards the roof of the building. We fired almost at the same time, our lines landing right at the top.

"Hook up."

This is what I hated. We had to zipline across the road, hundreds of feet in the air. If we fell off, we died.

I had to get over it though.

As soon as we were hooked up, we were off. When we got about a third of the way their, Martinez spoke.

"Three, two, one, detach."

We both flew towards the building, our feet cracking the glass from our impact. We were okay, which was the good thing.

"Lines secure. Let's move down." Martinez said, and he started walking down the building. I followed suite, keeping an eye out for anybody inside the building. There were lots of infected on a few of the floors, but most of them seemed to be clear.

"We're picking up enemies below you." Baker said.

"The lights inside will keep them blind to us." Martinez said. The 'Flies had turned to power on to the building, but the infected didn't seem to have noticed.

Lucky bastards.

We found the floor with the enemies, and one guy was sitting at a table when we reached that floor.

"That guy at the table. Take him out." Martinez said to me, so I aimed at his upper chest and shot him, his body collapsing towards his right.

"Good. Shift right. Let's take care of the other two."

We did that, then proceeded down.

We would do the same thing for the floor below, then we reached the floor where the control center was located. We would use these blowtorch type tools to cut through the window, then bust inside.

"Power system is in the back. Let's move." Martinez said, leading the way towards the back of the room.

It still bothered me how these people managed to get power running to the building and they didn't get swarmed. They must have been lucky.

We reached the power system, which was just a bunch of machinery inside a poorly light hallway.

"Patch in." Martinez said, pulling out a part of the system. I did the same, pulling out a device that would put a virus into the system, therefore allowing me to shut down power to the entire building with the push of a button. It was pretty cool.

But then the 'Flies showed up. We could tell by the door opening up down the hall.

Martinez acknowledged their presence first, "Tangos coming in. Finish up."

"Almost done." I said to him.

"Finish it or hide." He said just as I was done. I put the machine back in position, Martinez telling me to "hide in the alcove" that was nearby.

"Weapon down."

The 'Flies didn't seem to notice we were there when they walked past, but some were different. They looked as if they were rioters or something, like someone that had just come out of a gang.

One stopped between Martinez and I, and Martinez took him down when the others weren't paying attention.

I started to walk out, but Martinez spoke, "Wait for them to leave."

I did, and thankfully they moved in a different direction away from our ropes.

Martinez walked out quickly, making sure they were gone. "Let's get back to the ropes and hook up."

We did just that, this time facing the ground when we hooked up.

"Kill the lights." Martinez said, and I pressed the button on my device. Soon, the power to the entire building was down, and it turned from a few floors being on to pitch black.

"Beautiful."

"Two on the left balcony. Take 'em out."

We did just that, one body falling off towards the street below. We continued to move down, while another man walked out onto a balcony right in front of, or really below, me.

"Move above that guy, we'll do this quietly."

I did just that, pulling my knife out, then falling on top of the guy, stabbing him in the throat.

Unfortunately, two more came out from inside, so I spun the knife around in my hand and threw it towards them, killing one. Martinez handled the other one on his own.

"Remember Riley. We got to shut down the elevators and seal his chance to bolt. I'll take the main bank in the west wing. We'll rendezvous at the junction to cut the secondaries, okay?"

I nodded.

"Good," he punched my shoulder lightly, "Go get 'em." He took off.

Now I was on my own.

...

_Stay calm. You can do this._

I took a deep breath and walked off.

...

The trip to the junction wasn't hard. There weren't a lot of enemies anyway.

Martinez showed up not long after me.

"Good. You're here. Go cut the secondaries, I'll hook up the ropes."

I nodded, walking towards the control room for the secondary elevators. I noticed on some of the screens that some more rioters were heading towards us.

"We're about to have company." I said, hurrying to cut off the elevators. When I did, Martinez called.

"They found us! Get back here!"

I ran over to find six or seven enemies heading towards us.

"You made a mistake, assholes!" I heard one yell as gunfire rang out.

"We're losing time, we need to move!" Martinez said, "Drop these guys quickly."

When the last guy dropped, I spoke up, "Targets down. I can take your extra charges and cover our exit."

Martinez didn't hesitate to toss them to me. I set them down in a good spot where they would most definitely cause some damage. More enemies started showing up, so I quickly hooked up and jumped out the window, the explosions sounding behind me.

Some soldiers from a floor above started shooting down at us, but we handled them pretty quickly.

"We need to get inside!" I said, reloading.

"There's a floor below we can use." Martinez said, so he pushed off the building and thrust inside. I did the same thing, knocking over some enemies.

It took us a while to clear out the large room, but we eventually did, finding where our target was supposed to be.

"Alright. You take this side, I'll take the other."

"Got it." I walked over to the door where Ramos was supposed to be.

"I'm in position."

"Likewise. Let's do this."

I opened up the door, finding not a single sign of life.

"Damn it! He's not here. Martinez?"

"I got him."

Suddenly, Martinez burst through with Ramos tumbling to the ground. He grabbed Ramos and practically threw him into a chair, pulling a pistol into his face.

Ramos spoke, "They knew you would come."

"Where's Brad? Where is he?"

"I don't know. No one knows."

Martinez looked up at me, nodding. Then suddenly, he grabbed Ramos and slammed him to the ground, pinning his hands on his arm and shoulder.

I started speaking, "You have five seconds to deliver coordinates on Brad Johnston. Four!"

"He's not here."

"Three! Two!"

"His location is in there, in an encrypted file."

Before I could check, the monitor behind Ramos sprang on.

And none other than Marlene was standing there.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the second living dead."

"Marlene." I snarled.

"I should've known you would have come after her."

...

She was talking about Ellie.

"You better not fucking touch her you piece of shit!"

"Riley!"

Marlene's face changed, then she smiled, "You were that desperate to save her, weren't you? Hmph, you kids were sent to do a man's job."

"Where the hell are you, Marlene? And where's our friend?"

"Where I am doesn't matter. What matters is that for the last twenty years you people have slaughtered my own. And from this night forward, Elias Walker will live the knowledge that he sent two kids to their own death."

The screen cut off.

"It was a set up. Come on, we got to go!"

The building started erupting as if we were in some kind of volcano. There was nothing but explosions and rocking around us as were ran down the stairs.

"Command, this is compromised. Attempting an aerial exfil from the 52nd floor."

"Copy, Five-One. Prepping emergency team for your new rally point."

We kept running and the building kept crumbling. No matter where we went, it seemed like we were going to be crushed.

"We have to find a window before the whole damn place comes down!" Martinez yelled. We finally spotted one as we continued running. We took off towards it, but the building started tilting.

There were enemies scrambling to get away, but most of them died when Martinez started shooting at them. I followed suite, killing two or three more.

We were soon sliding down towards the edge of the building. Lucky for us, there were windows there, so we could get the hell out.

"Ready your chute!" Martinez yelled as we slid off towards the window. We had to cover our faces before we made impact, then we pulled our chutes.

...

"Jesus Christ." I said as we glided away from the building.

"NG, we're airborne. En route to rally point echo."

"You kicked some serious ass, Riley."

I smiled, "Thanks. I learned from the best."

He laughed.

* * *

We walked over to Baker, who was rested on a chair in front of a computer.

"Thank god you guys are okay. I saw what happened, and holy shit."

Martinez laughed, "Sorry. We made a little mess in your city."

Baker smiled, "As if this wasn't hard enough, but I got some good news. Captain Sandman returned today and was able to analyze that data you recovered from Ramos. Apparently, Brad is being held in an underground base of sorts inside the Dark Zone. We could go in, but that place is crawling with infected and a whole bunch of other things."

"So how do we get there?"

"You guys are going to have to sneak in. I would send some troops in to assist, but we're low on numbers enough here. Plus, with that building you guys just tore down, civilians are going to be all over the place now."

"Sorry." I said.

Baker smiled, "Are you kidding? That's exactly what I wanted. I wanted to help these people out so we can finally get back this city. If anything, I should be thanking you."

Martinez smiled, "No need to."

Baker nodded, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm very busy, so I need to get back to this."

"No problem. Catch you later."

He walked away, Martinez nudging my shoulder, "Brad would be proud of you."

I looked at him, "Really?"

"Yeah. You showed a lot of dedication today, which he loves. Plus, I loved the part where you yelled at Marlene."

I laughed, "Well, I was pissed."

"Clearly."

* * *

**And...done. Whew, finally.**

**Sorry for the long wait once again. I hope you really enjoyed.**

**Have a good evening/morning/afternoon/day.**

**-Broncozfan623**


	12. Rescue-Vengeance

**I'm back with a new chapter.**

**Now, I know last chapter had lots of elements from Tom Clancy's: The Division, and I would like to explain that. The Division is one of my favorite games this year so far, so I wanted to include some elements from that game into this story, such as the setting, locations (The Dark Zone, and story behind the events in New York). If you didn't like that, please let me know so I can make a note of that.**

**However, let us stop talking about the past and back to the present. Brad will have a POV in this chapter, unlike the last one. All the events of the Nightmare chapters(which I have yet to finish writing and post) will end during this chapter, and (SPOILER ALERT) Brad will awaken.**

**That's about it, so continue, if you dare.  
**

* * *

**(Riley)**

"According to Baker's intel, the Fireflies base in New York is deep inside the Dark Zone. So deep that even the toughest of all men in this city are afraid to go there."

"'Few people dare to go in, but fewer still come out' is what I've heard around base here." Baker said through the radio.

"Sounds scary." I said.

"It is. The Dark Zone was formally the Fed quarantine zone in New York City. The civilians led a revolt that caused the zone to fall, which also caused the Feds to abandon the city. People eventually went back in to scavenge what ever was left from the revolts."

"How many people do you think come out on a normal basis?" Martinez asked.

Baker paused for a short time before answering. "Very little ever do. They either stay inside to fight off the infected or each other, or they die."

I shivered, just thinking of what happened at this place and whatever we were walking into. It must be chaos in there, or maybe it would be quiet because everybody was dead.

"Well, we have to get Brad out of there if that's the case." Martinez said, picking up his pace as we walked.

I looked over at him, "What if we get there and he's dead?"

"He won't be."

"You can't say that." I stopped, "If what Baker says about this place is true, there's a super slim chance that he would be alive."

He turned around to face me, "Plus, based off of what I know of the Fireflies, there is no way that they would be able to hold a stronghold in an area of much danger."

Martinez processed what I had just said, then took a step towards me, "Listen. You may have your doubts about Brad, about all of this, but you can go back and give up on all of this whenever you want. You can go sit back and let us rescue your girlfriend."

He walked up to me and stood right in my face, "But you listen, and you listen to me well. I'll cut you some slack for being new, but know this. Ghosts don't ever, and I mean _never, _give up. We complete our job, no matter what it is, no matter how hopeless it may seem. We find a way."

He turned around, "Take a note of that. You'll need it. Now come on."

He started walking off, me just standing behind, staring at him walk away. Eventually, I shook my head and followed him.

My mind was racing then.

...

Would this even be worth it? Could Brad even lead us to where Ellie is?

And most of all: Is Brad even still alive?

...

I would have to find out on my own.

* * *

_2 Hours Later_

"You sure this is it?"

"What do you think?

"You don't have to be a smartass."

"Then don't ask dumb questions."

The wall towered high up in front of us, whatever was left of what the Feds had put up when the outbreak began. You couldn't see what was on the other side, but we already knew what was over there.

"Picking up massive contamination signatures from beyond those walls," Baker said, "You definitely want to put on your gas masks if you want to come out alive."

"Thanks for the tip." Martinez said, taking his mask off and replacing it with his large gas mask. Even though he was wearing no mask, his gas mask still had a large skull around his face.

"Let's go." He said, walking towards the wall.

"Now, hold on you two." Baker said before we were about to climb over. "Even if you get Brad, there is no way I will be able to send anybody to extract you out of there with him. You'll have to escort him out on foot."

Martinez spoke up, "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"There's nothing I can do. Nobody from the NG goes in there. I'm sorry. 5-2 out."

Baker went off, and Martinez punched the wall, though not very hard.

"As if this wasn't hard enough." He said angrily.

"Maybe we can find a vehicle inside there. It would be a lot easier than carrying him around this place."

Martinez looked at me, nodding, "Good idea. Who knows, maybe the Fireflies have a chopper there waiting for us."

"Neither of us could fly it, genius."

He laughed, "Good point, but enough talk. Let's get in there."

He climbed up onto a watch tower that would allow us to get inside, me following suite. When we dropped down inside and took our first look, my stomach dropped.

"Oh my god." Was all I could say.

The place was quiet, abandoned, and destroyed. A fallen helicopter laid in the street on its side, the tail rotor spinning from the wind. There weren't a ton of bodies, but there was one infected that was stuck to a pole through its chest.

Martinez took a step forward, "Baker, come in." Nothing but fuzzy static came through, "Baker, can you hear me?"

The same noises.

"Comms are offline. I can't get through."

"They must have gone down when we entered."

Martinez grabbed his rifle that hung limp by his side, "Well, he have a job to do. Let's go do it."

I nodded.

...

We walked off into the Dark Zone.

* * *

_**"Rescue/Vengeance"**_

**July 17, 2033, 14:29:51**

**New York, New York, United States of America**

**Private Riley Abel, Task Force: STALKER**

**Status: Alive**

* * *

**Loadout:**  


**Primary:** _Honey Badger Assault Rifle Customized (Reflex, Foregrip)_

**Sidearm:** P226 Pistol

* * *

"This place looks like hell. Do you think anybody got out of here alive?" I asked Martinez, looking around at our surroundings. The power in all of the buildings had been cut out, but you could definitely see lights in a few buildings. Hopefully those people were friendly, we had enough problems at the moment.

"If any didn't, there's nothing we can do for them now." Was the response I got.

We hadn't walked very long, only about ten minutes. But once we reached that mark, Martinez pulled me off of the street and behind cover.

"Got contacts up ahead. Cleaners."

"What the hell are cleaners?"

"They're psychos, really. They go around burning every sign of infection they can. Even if you're clean and have never been sick your whole life, they burn you up."

A chill ran down my spine, "Christ."

"I count four of them. Two with flamethrowers, two without. Think we can take them?"

"You're really asking that?"

Martinez laughed, "Just checking."

Martinez then looked up over cover, me doing the same. I noticed the fuel canisters on their backs and pointed it out to Martinez.

"We can use the fuel canisters on their backs. Just wait until they're crowded together."

"I like your thinking."

Martinez walked out from cover, staying low and keeping quiet. I did the same, but I went to a different spot.

"Alright, wait for them to group up."

We did just that, and once the four did, Martinez fired at the fuel canister of one Cleaner, me shooting the other. The tanks ignited, exploding after a few seconds. The two that didn't have tanks on their backs were quickly taken down by Martinez.

"Well," he said, "That was easy."

"Too easy." I said, walking up towards him. "We need to be careful."

He nodded, "You're right. The farther we go in, the harder this is going to get. Now we need to get moving."

We walked off again.

...

"What the hell does this place even look like?" I asked, examining a dead body on the side of a street. Martinez was ahead of me, checking the streets for enemies.

"A large Firefly symbol. Apparently, its there to guide people to their base. The symbol is supposed to be the final area."

"And we're supposed to go up to their base, walk straight to the front door, and ask them nicely to give us Brad and Ellie back?"

Martinez shrugged, "I don't know. We'll figure it out once we get there."

I nodded, "Great."

I was about to ask where to go next, but I heard screaming coming from behind me. I turned around to see probably a dozen infected behind me.

"Shit. We got infected."

"They're coming from my side too."

I shoot one, knocking it down, but not killing it. I heard Martinez start doing the same. They just kept coming though, more and more from different areas.

I noticed a fire escape in an alley to my left. I ran towards it, Martinez following me, along with the infected.

"Come on." I said, climbing up the ladder to the apartments above. Martinez barely made it before the infected got there, but he escaped without a scratch. When he reached the same spot as me, we both took a small break.

"You good?" He said to me.

I nodded, "Yeah. You?"

He also nodded, "Never better."

There was an open window into an apartment. Martinez climbed inside, checking for anything. The place had been ransacked, as if it had been looted a long time ago.

"This place looks safe. Look around, see if you can find anything useful."

I did just that, not finding anything that would help our current situation. I returned to Martinez, finding him examining the city from a window.

"You know what's crazy?" He said, continuing to examine the city. "Eight and a half million people used to live in this city. Now, it's practically a ghost town. It's incredible."

"You mean that in a bad way, right?"

"Of course I do. I never wanted this shit to happen."

He turned around and walked past me, heading towards the front door.

"We're not making any progress by staying here, so we need to keep going."

We exited the apartment, and soon the building. None of the infected that had found us were out on the street, to our luck. We were moving slowly along the side of the street before something made Martinez stop.

"Look," he said, pointing up towards a banner on the side of a building. Sure enough, a large Firefly logo was plastered on it, showing it to the city.

"We're almost there," Martinez said, "Come on. Let's go finish this."

He took off forward, and I followed. My mind was racing with a variety of different thoughts.

_How would we get inside without being detected? What if Ellie was here? What if we were already too late, and Brad had turned to the Fireflies already?_

This and other things were constantly flowing through my brain.

But at the moment, I didn't care. Considering the fact that Martinez practically talked me down to the ground.

"What the hell was that for?" I said, shoving him away from me.

"They got guards out on the streets. We need to stay low, or else they'll spot us."

I nodded, crawling alongside him. The guards were talking to one another by the main entrance to the compound. Martinez crouched up, firing two rounds, and I heard to bodies hit the ground.

"Come on. Let's get in there."

We ran across the street and ran up to the front door of what led to the compound.

Martinez opened the door, checking for Fireflies. When it was clear we entered.

* * *

**(Brad)**

I woke up with a large jolt, sitting straight up in my seat. I was breathing heavily, and I was drenched in sweat.

...

It was over.

The nightmare was over.

...

I looked around the room, assessing the area I was in.

There was nothing in the same area as me, but there was an opening that went to what appeared to be a control room to my left.

_Taylor...Corvus...they're gone. _I said in my mind.

...

All the shit I saw in that nightmare.

It was horrifying.

...

_Taylor said those coordinates would help me when I woke. But where do they go? And why?_

I had a million questions, but then there was a flashing yellow light, and sirens started sounding.

I had to now what the hell was going on.

I stood up from the chair, walking towards the control room.

...

I didn't get to exit before the flashes started in my mind.

I fell to the floor, my right hand clenching my head, not like that would do anything.

...

_Kill...Them...All._

...

It spoke over and over again in my head. The same message.

...

I knew what I had to do.

I gathered myself, standing back up and exiting the room.

I had a mission to do.

And nothing was going to stop me from accomplishing the mission.

...

They will pay.

* * *

They were just on the other side of this door. As I crossed the Firefly compound, I had acquired my magnum and a rifle. I found my magnum sitting at a table not far from the room I was in, and I picked up the rifle from a Firefly I had killed.

But that was not what mattered.

...

Three of my targets were in this room.

My mother, Dawn.

My brother, Zak.

And my sister, Amy.

...

They would be the first victims of their own actions.

So I walked into the room, seeing the three targets standing around a table. There were two other Fireflies, who I quickly took out, then I aimed my rifle straight at them.

They stood with their arms up at their sides. Amy looked as if she was devastated, but Dawn and Zak kept stern faces. They weren't nearly affected by my presence than Amy was.

"You should have known this would happen." I said to them, keeping the gun aimed in their general direction.

"Know what?" Zak said.

"That I would come for you."

"I didn't think that you would turn on us."

I scoffed, "So you thought that when I saw you all again, I would be happy? That I would instantly forget about all the stuff that I saw in Charlotte after you left?"

...

No response.

...

"Figures."

I noticed Zak start moving to his left, and I pointed at him. He sped up when I did, so I fired at him.

...

His body landed with a hard thud.

I heard Amy scream, and she ran over to him. I saw tears falling down her face, but I felt no pity. No remorse.

Dawn started to pull a gun from her waist, but I turned and shot her before she could fire. The shot landed in her shoulder, and she fell to the floor in pain.

...

_Finish her._ Was what flashed in my mind.

So I pulled my magnum out of my pocket.

I reached what once was my mother, her face showing agony, pain, and sadness.

She reached a hand up towards me, shaking her head.

"Don't do this. _Please._"

...

_You can't do this, _my brain started saying to me, _this is wrong and you know it._

_Do it_, the other half of my mind said to me, _they left you to die. Return the favor._

...

I went with the latter side.

I shouldn't have.

...

I fired.

Then I felt myself being tackled.

...

Amy was trying to stop me.

I shoved her off of me, kicking her in the stomach. She flew back against the wall, sliding down to the floor.

I walked towards her, slowly.

"Why are you trying to stop me? You deserve this."

Amy looked up at me, "Brad, this isn't you."

"You left me behind."

"You're better than this."

"SHUT UP!" I said, striking her with the butt of my rifle.

"I almost died because of you. Zak and Mom have paid for it."

I pulled the magnum back out.

"You're next."

I cocked it.

...

I couldn't do it.

I couldn't shoot her.

Something inside me was preventing me from doing this.

_She's vulnerable. Now is you're chance._

But I couldn't bring myself to shoot her.

...

I walked away from her, sprinting out the room. She called out to me as I did, but I ignored her.

...

...

...

I had no idea what was happening to me. I was going crazy.

...

I stopped all of the sudden.

One name stood in my mind.

_Marlene_

This was all her fault.

...

It all started when I was first captured, and I saw her for the first time.

_I had never wanted to kill anyone more than right then and there. _

I remembered thinking that.

...

She was the one that sent me into that nightmare. She was the one who had recruited Tess and Joel into capturing me.

She was the one that took Ellie away from us.

...

She had to die.

Only problem was: she was problem long gone by now.

...

Then a solution came into my mind.

_Charles_

He had to know where she was.

So I had to find him.

...

But I wouldn't have to look far.

* * *

I had found him.

He was in a command room. The room was apparently used for interrogation purposes, but that didn't matter.

All that mattered was that he was here, in the next room.

...

He was going to lead me to Marlene.

I grabbed the door handle, and entered.

He was talking on a radio.

...

"He'l killing everyone in his path. You must get here before he kills me too."

After he said that, he noticed my presence.

He stared at me with a look of, surprisingly, shock on his face.

"You killed Zak and Dawn."

I shrugged, "I wish I hadn't." I was trying to trick him into thinking I had regained my sanity.

He was even more shocked when I said this, "What?"

_Bingo._

"I never meant to kill Zak and Mom. I really didn't. Hell, I couldn't bring myself to shoot Amy. Something inside me, just, wouldn't let me."

I took one step forward, "They shouldn't have to pay for a crime that they didn't commit. They _you _committed."

Charles stepped back, "Have you lost your mind?"

I pulled out the magnum, "I don't know. Have I?" I shot him in the leg.

"Because I can't seem to figure it out."

_"Brad. Don't do it!"_I heard a familiar voice ring through the radio my father had. I ignored it though.

"I just think it's crazy that you thought I would be on your good side."

I picked him up and threw him into a chair.

"You're a...monster." He said.

"I am," I punched him, "what you," and again, "turned me into." and again.

I grabbed his collar, "You brought this onto yourself.

I stood before him, pulling out the magnum that he had given to me before his betrayal, "My name is Brad Johnston, and I will have my revenge!"

...

...

...

The gunshot did not sound out the broken glass.

Two figures rushed me, tackling me down and knocking the gun from my hand. I didn't get to see who they were entirely, but I caught a small glimpse.

...

I saw a skull mask on one face.

* * *

**(Riley)**

_20 minutes earlier_

"We have to move fast. They'll know we're here soon." Martinez said as we moved through the Firefly compound. This base was a lot different than the one in Boston, but it was definitely larger in comparison.

We hadn't been inside long before we encountered more Fireflies. None were armed, but Martinez had shot them all in their legs, ensuring they wouldn't escape to warn the others. We ran up and knocked them out, only to find two more 'flies coming behind us.

...

They hit a switch on one of the walls, which had to have been an alarm.

And sure enough, a loud, blaring sound rang out.

I fired towards them, missing but letting them know to we would kill them if we needed to.

"Fuck! Come on, we need to move!" Martinez yelled, and we ran off into the compound.

We encountered a lot of Fireflies as we moved through out the compound. Most we were able to get past without killing, but other times we didn't have a choice.

...

We ran inside one room, bullets flying past us. Martinez slammed the door behind us, locking it.

"That won't hold for long." He said, then he turned around to look at me.

...

Then he noticed the woman. Just like I had.

She was crying. A body of a man in her arms, and a body of a woman sitting close by.

She looked up at us, not changing her expression.

"Who are you?" She said.

"Nobody. We're just here for our friend."

She looked back down, "You mean...Brad."

Martinez looked at me with a confused expression. "How do you know that?"

She looked back at us, "He's the one who did this. These two people are dead because of him."

Martinez shook his head, "No. You're lying. Brad would never do this."

I crouched next to the woman, "Who were these people?"

She looked at me, "His mother and brother."

...

I looked up at Martinez, a look of shock on my face. He couldn't see that, due to the gas mask, but I could tell we thought the same thing.

"Are you his sister?"

She nodded.

...

This was crazy.

Brad didn't seem like the person that would do this. He was willing to fight for anyone, anything, and at anytime. He wouldn't just turn on his family.

"How could he do this?" I said.

The woman shook her head.

"Come with us." Martinez said, "We're going to get Brad out of here. It's the Firefly drug that made him do this. Whatever he saw in those trials must have tore his mind apart."

She didn't respond, but eventually she nodded, standing up with us.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked Martinez.

He nodded, then turned towards her, "What's you're name?"

"Amy. Amy Johnston."

"Why did he let you live and not the others?"

"We don't have time for that." I intervened, "We can figure that out later. But right now, we have to find Brad and get him out of here. Did he say anything about where he was going?"

...

I didn't get a response from her, but someone came through on the radio.

"Soldiers of Task Force: STALKER, this is General Charles Johnston of the Federal Disaster Response Agency. I have vital information that you need. If there's anybody hearing this, respond."

Martinez responded, "How the hell did you get on our comms?"

"There's no time for that. Brad, my son, is coming straight for me in the interrogation room. You need to get here quick."

The link cut off, and we were left silent.

"What are we waiting for? Let's move." Martinez said, and we all left.

Most of the Fireflies in the area had either evacuated or were dead, mostly Brad's work, so we didn't encounter many enemies. The ones we did run into ran off immediately, not wanting any trouble.

...

We almost reached the interrogation room(Amy had led the way) when we contacted Brad's father again.

"General Johnston, we are almost to the interrogation room. What is you're status?"

"Not good. My other units are down. It's Brad. He's killing everyone in his path. You must get here before he kills me too."

That message only made us pick up speed, but we I could already tell we were too late.

Brad was going to beat us there.

...

We reached the room, but turns out Brad's father was in the control room. He was standing next to a table.

And Brad was with him.

Then he shot him.

Brad shot his own father.

"Brad. Don't do it!" I yelled. We needed his father to find Ellie, at least I think we did.

Martinez tried shooting the window, but that was useless.

"Shit, it's bulletproof. Use the table."

Martinez picked up one side of the table, and I picked up the other. We both tried to break the window, and it finally worked after three hits.

...

But we were too late.

Brad had killed his father.

...

We didn't hesitate to subdue him and knock him out. Martinez smacked him in the face with his rifle, knocking Brad out.

...

We did it.

We got our friend back.

But he wasn't the same.

Whatever the Fireflies had done to Brad, they hurt his mind so much that he murdered over half of his family.

And too think that I idolized these people, before I had seen the atrocities that they had committed.

"Well," I said, "We got our boy back."

Martinez nodded, "Yeah."

We were silent after that.

Amy walked up and picked him up, "Let's get out of here. It won't be easy getting out of the Dark Zone."

We both nodded, then we all exited the room.

Martinez walked up next to me, "What the hell happened to him? Brad would never murder somebody in cold blood like that."

I shrugged, "If I knew, I would tell you."

"He's probably gone through some sick trauma. He could take weeks to recover."

"We'll get it figured out. I know we will."

Martinez shook his head, "I hope so."

* * *

_1 hour later_

We made it back to base with Brad in one piece. It was fairly easy to get out of the Dark Zone after we left the Firefly compound, though we did encounter some infected.

But that didn't matter. At the moment, we were gathered around a table(we being Martinez, Baker, Amy, and myself).

"Wow. Sick shit, man." Baker said, "I knew the Fireflies were weird, but that's crazy."

"It doesn't matter. Whatever General Johnston knew is gone now. That's a concern. Plus, Brad is in no way ready to be sent back to active duty."

"Then what are we going to do with him?" I asked.

Martinez shook his head.

We were all silent, until Baker spoke again.

"We have to interrogate him."

We all looked at him.

"Are you crazy?" Amy asked him.

"We don't have any other choice here. Brad probably has valuable info in his mind. We just have to force it out of him."

"No. You cannot do that to him, after what he went through."

"There is no other choice. It's this, or nothing."

Amy looked at Martinez and I.

"I'm sorry, Amy, but Baker is right. Brad might have something valuable in his mind."

"You have no idea what is in his head."

"And you do?"

She was silent.

Then she spoke again, "She has the location of the girl you're looking for."

"What?" I asked, surprised on the mention of Ellie.

"In the trials, somebody put the coordinates inside Brad's head. It may be hard to find, but it's in there."

...

I was shocked.

Brad knew where Ellie was.

"Then we have to do this." I said, "We need to get Ellie back, and as soon as possible."

"You don't understand-"

"This is not up for discussion. We don't have any other choice here. If we leave him as is, we may never find her."

"She has a point."

Amy was silent, but she nodded a short while after. I understood why. Brad was her brother, and he was the only family she had left.

Thanks to him.

"I'll make preparations." Baker said, and he walked off.

"I hope you know what you're doing, 'cause that's my brother." Amy said before leaving.

...

That left Martinez and I.

"You think we made the right decision?" He asked me.

I could only shake my head.

"I sure hope so."

* * *

**(Brad)**

_Present Day_

"It's hopeless. There's nothing in this guys head."

"We can't give up now. He was in the trials. He knows where the girl is. He knows the coordinates of her location. He knows where she is."

"We can't do this. There's no time left. Our men are reporting infected heading this way. You've tried everything."

"Not yet. I've got one more card left to play."

One of the figures left the room, and pretty soon the door in front of me opened.

...

And guess who walked in?

Merrick? Nope.

Elias? Uh-Uh.

Price? Swing and a miss.

...

It was Baker.

Corporal Matthew Baker.

My teammate.

He had been the one interrogating me. The whole time.

"It's over, man. Tell Martinez I failed." He said.

The man in the room above stormed out without a word.

Baker turned towards me. He walked over, then slammed one of the old monitors to the ground with a loud "Dammit!".

"Why can't you remember?!" He said to me.

He grabbed my shoulders, "You know where she is, Brad! SHE'S IN THERE! You have to remember!"

He let go of me, taking a step back, "Aaron's right. We're out of time. The Fireflies fucked you up."

He released the braces on my wrists, "I know you. You're not a traitor."

I didn't want to hear anything else.

...

So I punched him, sending him flying into the other monitors.

I began to walk out of the room, but my mind just kept flashing.

_"The girl, Brad. Where is she?"_

It was way too much. The numbers were flying around too.

_40, 75_

They just kept repeating.

"The numbers...what...are they saying?"

I scrambled around the area I was in.

_"Marlene was there. I had to kill Marlene!"_ My mind said to me.

"I...keep...hearing...the fucking...numbers."

I kept scrambling throughout the building, the numbers still rolling through my head, the message continuing to flow through my mind.

I eventually made it into this computer room, only to be turned around and punched by Riley.

Yep, Riley Abel.

I fell through a void, and soon it looked as if I was back in the nightmare.

Taylor was there, and he handed me something.

It was a little pad with numbers.

...

Wait.

...

40.7500, 111.8833

...

They were coordinates.

But to where?

"The Fireflies brainwashed you, but somebody else had different plans." Riley said to me, a gun in her hands.

"They altered the trials you were under. In the nightmare, they gave you the coordinates to where Ellie was."

She picked me up, and grabbed my shoulders, "You _have_ to remember, Brad."

She said that word with so much sadness and anguish.

She must really miss Ellie.

...

I stepped back for a second.

"40, 75, 0, 0, 111, 88, 33." I said, "They mean something."

I walked over to a computer, luckily it worked. I pulled up a map.

"The numbers, they're coordinates. They lead to where the Fireflies are either holding or taking Ellie."

I punched the numbers in, and found our location.

...

Salt Lake City, Utah.

...

"Salt Lake City. Utah." I said, "That's where she is."

Riley walked up to my side, a smile plastered on her face.

...

We found her.

* * *

**Finally done.**

**That ending was a lot like Black Ops 1, didn't it?**

**I don't have much time right now, so I'll be leaving now.**

**Good night.**

**-Broncozfan623**


	13. Revelations

**Welcome back.**

**I will skip all the junk about what happened between the last update and now, so let's get down to business, shall we?**

**This chapter doesn't have much action in it, but there are a lot of major revelations to many topics of discussion. Plus, we will check in on Ellie and see how she has been doing since her kidnapping. I don't want to give too much away before you read, so that is all I will say.**

**Also, there's something at the end of the story that I want all readers to read.**

**(WARNING: This chapter contains thoughts of suicide and self-harm. Please know that I do not condone either of these two actions, and if you ever see or hear someone considering these two actions or you yourself consider them, PLEASE seek help.)**

**Continue reading.**

* * *

_**"Revelations"**_

**July 20th, 2033, 09:18:04**

**New York, New York, United States of America**

**PVT. Riley Abel, Task Force: STALKER**

**Status: Alive**

* * *

**(Riley)**

It's been three days since we got Brad back from the Fireflies. In the time since, he's been quiet. He mostly kept to himself, not bothering to talk to me, Martinez, or even Amy.

It seemed as if he had just shut down on the inside, and he was an empty shell that walked around base.

Whatever had happened, whatever the Fireflies had done to him, had gotten to him. Hard.

"We just need to give him time." Martinez had told me, "He'll recover on his own."

But I highly doubted that.

...

So I was extremely surprised when he walked up to Martinez, Baker, and I in the middle of our conversation. We had been discussing all of us heading back to Boston so we could bury Jackson, but that ended when Brad showed up.

"What's going on?" He asked, standing between me and Martinez, his arms crossed over his chest.

Martinez spoke up before I could, "Well, we were thinking you would never show up." He said, punching him lightly on the shoulder, "How you holding up?"

"I'll manage. I've been through worse."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'll make it through."

Martinez nodded, speaking again, "Back to business then. When do you guys want to head back?"

"The sooner, the better," Baker said, "I'd have to come back here, but these guys can handle themselves for a day or two."

"Where are we all going?" Brad asked, looking confused at what they were talking about.

"We're talking about going back to Boston to take care of something real quick."

"I'm guessing Jackson stayed behind."

...

I didn't respond.

Neither did Martinez and Baker.

...

Brad noticed this, "What the hell happened?"

I spoke up, "When we first were about to come here from Boston, we were supposed to come here with some Ghosts from another quarantine zone. But-" I didn't know if I should continue, but I had gone too far in explaining to stop, "-somebody had other plans."

Martinez butted in, "The chopper exploded before we were able to get on. Riley and I were far enough away to not sustain major injuries, but Baker and Jackson weren't so lucky."

Baker rubbed the back of his neck, not speaking.

"And Jackson?" Brad asked.

...

We were all silent for a moment before Baker spoke up.

"He didn't make it."

...

In that moment, you could see Brad collapse on the inside. For some reason, hearing those four words crushed him emotionally.

He shook his head, leaving just as fast as he had showed up.

"Somethings wrong with him." I said, looking towards Martinez and Baker.

"No shit," Baker said, "After what he's been through, how could there not be something wrong with him?"

"We should help him."

"There's nothing we can do." Martinez said, "Trust me. I know. He'll get through this on his own."

"How do you know that?"

Martinez hesitated before answering, "Because I've been through something like this before. I know what Brad's going through, and I understand. But the only thing that can help him is if he moves on himself."

I nodded, but I still had my doubts.

If whatever was going through Brad's mind affected him this much, than something really bad must have had to happen.

And obviously something did. Jackson died.

But I didn't expect Brad to react the way he did.

...

I came to the conclusion then.

He couldn't make it through this alone.

* * *

**(Brad)**

"GODDAMMIT!" I yelled, knocking some object off of a shelf.

"I should've been there. I could've helped. I could've prevented the whole...fucking situation."

I sighed, sitting on the bed nearby, my head resting in my hands.

I couldn't believe what those three had told me.

Jackson was dead. And it was my fault.

...

"No," I spoke to myself, "Stop doing this to yourself." I took a large, deep breath before speaking again. "Its not your fault. There's nothing you could have done."

Except it was, and there was something.

...

I could have not gotten myself captured back in Boston.

I could have killed Tess and Joel when I first found them outside the walls.

Hell, I could have never joined the Ghosts in the first place.

Watts and Jackson would still be here.

And the rest of my family, they would be to.

Along with all of the people that died as I made my way north from Charlotte.

...

It was funny, really.

As if I had some sort of connection to Death or something.

Because no matter where I seemed to go, Death would follow and take somebody's life, regardless if I knew them or not.

Death must have something on me, I guess.

...

Then again, so much would've changed if I never joined the Ghosts.

The Europeans would still be out there, hiding right underneath our noses.

...

None of those people would have died. The ones I've killed and others.

...

I never would've met Ellie and Riley, the two girls who practically turned my life into the shitfest it was at the moment.

...

I never would've gotten involved with this war, a fight I had no reason to take part of.

All because of my stupid dreams as a kid: finding a cure for this infection. Saving the country. Being a hero.

...

Look at where trying to be a hero got me.

...

I had caused the death of hundreds, maybe thousands, of people. I tore people's lives apart.

_I caused this._

...

It was too much for me to handle.

I couldn't take it anymore.

...

Maybe I was better off dead. Without any trace left of my existence.

My records. My identity. The memories of me that I put inside of peoples minds. Brad Johnston would fade from the earth, just like the other millions of people that this fungus and the war that followed had done.

Maybe it was better that way.

It _was_ better that way.

...

I don't know when I had found it, or when I had gotten up to find it, my magnum was in my hands.

...

It had only one bullet in it.

One bullet that would end my existence. That could wipe all of the crimes and atrocities I had committed in my short time on this planet.

One pull of the trigger, and it was over.

_It would all be over._

...

But I didn't do it.

Because the gun was swiped from my grasp.

By who, you ask?

...

It was Amy. My sister. The only member of my family that I hadn't killed.

She was grabbing my shoulders, trying to get me to look up at her. I could see her trying to talk to me.

See, but not hear.

She was silent behind me starting to mentally breakdown.

...

It was too much.

It was too fucking much for me.

I couldn't handle it anymore.

...

I felt like there was nobody I could turn to for all of my problems. Since I left Charlotte, I had been alone, except for the occasional person that didn't try blowing my head off.

All of those months of pain, hate, and sorrow that I had gone through, I went through it _alone._

If you don't know what that means, which you obviously should, it means I was on my own through all of those tragic times.

The fall of Charlotte after the Feds left. The constant fear of being killed or infected with each passing day. The feeling of having to kill just because I wanted to stay alive.

...

Pittsburgh.

Oh, Pittsburgh was the worst of all.

The hunters. The infected. Sam and Henry.

I could never forget what happened in Pittsburgh, and in the suburbs just outside of the city. Those memories would stick with me for the rest of my time.

Which would have come to an end, if not for Amy.

...

I didn't say anything to her, only staring deep into her eyes.

She embraced me, wrapping her arms around me as tight as she possibly could.

I realized then that she was all I had left.

The only family I had left in this country, because of me.

Yet, she didn't care. She still cared for me, even after I had committed these horrible acts that would be frowned upon by anybody else in the world.

But not Amy.

...

I remembered something I had told myself back in London, the day before I left to come back to the US.

I would find her and bring her to safety, so she never would have to fight for me again.

I remembered it. I always have.

That thought never left my mind, like the memories of my journey north. It always lingered, being the light in the opaque darkness of my memory.

...

When I said I had no reason to take part of this war, I was blind. I failed to see the light through the shrouds of darkness that had taken me over the last few days.

...

Over these last few days, I had found my reasons for fighting this war, my purpose.

It was for them.

Amy. Martinez. Baker. Watts. Jackson. Riley. Ellie.

Seven people you would never think could make as large an impact in my life, let alone anyone's.

...

These people were my purpose for fighting this war.

So that they can live past this time, and see the country for what it is when we end this disease. And so there deaths will mean something, and not be another life dumped inside a mass grave with no funeral.

...

And all of those memories that I rambled about.

They would be the driving force. The fuel that will stroke the fire inside me that burns hotter than the sun.

I will fight harder than any other soldier this country has ever seen.

...

So I wrapped my own arms around Amy, staying like that for as long as I could.

'Cause right now, I just needed somebody to be there, after I had been alone for so long.

* * *

_**The next day**_

The chopper was landed just in front of us, as we waited to be taken back to Boston. Baker would head back here in a few days, and he would continue whatever he was doing here in New York.

Martinez nudged me on the shoulder, speaking, "How you holding up?"

I shrugged, "So far so good."

We started walking towards the chopper, Martinez speaking again, "I was able to make contact with Merrick last night. He said that some weird stuff has been happening ever since we left."

"Like what?"

Martinez boarded the chopper, "He says that Firefly activity has completely ceased inside the city, and its not just happening in Boston. Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and quarantine zones all over the countries have reported the same activity."

By the time he was finished, we were all on board. The chopper started to lift off, and we began our journey back to Boston.

"So the Fireflies are gone?"

"Apparently."

Riley chimed in, "They could be regrouping. Trying to setup some sort of counter-attack."

Martinez shook his head, "A country wide counter-attack is near impossible to coordinate, given the country's current state. They must have something going on."

"Well, think." Amy started now, "What's one big thing that the Fireflies have that it takes all of there people to meet in one spot, saying that they are."

We all lapsed into silence, everybody deep into thought, except for me.

Why?

Because I knew exactly what it was without much thought.

...

_Ellie._

Obviously it was Ellie.

"It's Ellie." I said, causing everybody to look up at me.

"What?" Riley said to me, eager to hear what I had to say. She always did that whenever somebody mentioned Ellie, acting like it was the most important news in the world.

It was funny really.

"Well, think about it. The Fireflies have the cure for the infection. That's a big deal, and that warrants having all of their people in one location. Kind of a show of what they accomplished."

Martinez and the rest contemplated this, but Amy smiled at me. I had always been able to figure out a problem without much thought for most of my life. It was one of the few things from childhood that I liked having.

"So you think they're all heading to the same place?" Baker asked.

"Yeah. And I know exactly where that is."

...

We all did. We would have to wait to tell Merrick when we get to Boston first though.

So we all lapsed into silence.

About an hour into the ride, everyone had fallen asleep except for Riley and I. Riley was staring out the window of the chopper, a look of sadness spread on her features.

I was confused at this, asking myself.

_Why does she look so...depressed?_

So I spoke up, "Are you doing alright?"

She shrugged, "Okay. I guess."

She did't look at me or speak to me, bringing us back to silence.

Something was definitely up.

"It's about Ellie, isn't it?"

Riley nodded without saying a word.

"Don't worry about her. She'll be-"

"Stop." She snapped, silencing me, "Please. I don't want to talk about it."

I was speechless.

...

She must miss her. Like, _really_ miss her.

They must really care about one another, if Ellie being away was making Riley look like this.

I shook my head, "Okay. I get it. You don't want to talk about it, that's fine. But I know something's bothering you."

I leaned back against the seat behind me, "If you feel like talking later, just wake me up."

...

She never did.

* * *

We were finally back in Boston, the chopper landing with a small thud as it made contact with the ground.

Amy woke me up when we arrived. When we were all exited, we headed to the command center. Merrick was there waiting for us.

"About time you showed up." He said, looking towards me, "Where the hell have you been?"

I smiled, "I took a few days off, courtesy of the Fireflies."

Merrick laughed, "Well then. Vacation's over." His face straightened, and he looked over towards Amy, "Who's the other girl?"

"Amy Johnston. I'm Brad's sister, and I helped get Brad out of the Dark Zone in New York."

Merrick considered this, then spoke once again, "Well, thanks for that. We need all of the help we can get, because we're about to have big problems."

He walked over to one desk and picked up a radio, "We intercepted radio chatter from an unknown location here on the east coast. Apparently somebody from our side has been working with the Europeans."

"You're kidding." Martinez said.

"What are talking about, Europeans?" Amy asked, looking quite confused.

Merrick looked at me, and I shrugged. "I'll tell you more later." I said to her.

Merrick did as I asked and hit the play button, and the recording started.

First a British voice came over the radio.

_"I think we need to modify the terms of our agreement."_

Than an American, one that I had never heard before.

_"Why Colonel? It seems to be going perfectly well so far. You get the intel of whatever's left on this rock and all you're POW's back. I get full refuge in England in return, as well as use of your weaponry as needed."_

_"Not to mention the occasional surface to air missile, or have you forgotten about that chopper in Boston?"_

_"Look, my people did the dirty work on that op, MacMillan, and eliminating those soldiers was as much a benefit to you as to me. The last thing I need is the Ghosts to have the location of the cure for this infection, and-. Hold on I'm getting feedback on the link."_

_"We've been compromised?"_

_"Looks like it, cutting the link now."_

_"Don't you-"_

The recording ended, and we were all silent.

...

I had so many questions, lots that would never get answered.

Why were they working with the enemy? What would they gain from doing this? How much harm would come from this?

I could never imagine why anybody would want to work with the Europeans, when we needed all that we could get to help defeat this infection.

Martinez spoke up, "Have we identified who the traitor is?"

Merrick shook his head, "Unfortunately, no. Whoever it is is not in any of our records, and no other quarantine zones on the east coast have been able to identify them either."

Baker spoke this time, "Whoever it is, they say that he promised to get all of the European POW's back, so he might try to get us to give them to whoever he is. He could try to trick us into thinking that they were transferring them to another zone, but he would just be handing them over to the Europeans."

Then Riley, "It's possible, but how do we know this guy was one of us? He kind of sounded like he was against us and didn't support the idea of us having a cure."

I chimed in after that, "I don't understand why somebody would betray us, if they were one of us. What would cause a person to abandon our cause and to turn on us?"

"People get desperate to survive. Whoever this is must have seen an opportunity for him to take advantage of the Europeans for his own personal gain. But who knows? Maybe they just got sick of fighting."

"We don't know right now, but right now we're still looking into it. Now that that's out of the way, you four are dismissed," he looked towards Amy, "but I need to talk to you."

Amy shrugged, "Fine by me." She looked at me, as if she was worried that I would be okay. I nodded to her, and she smiled. It was nice that she was still looking out for me.

The rest of us walked out, leaving the room in silence.

Martinez turned around to look at the rest of us, "Well that's that. I'm going to look around, see if anything changed. IF any of you want to come along, that's fine."

"I'll go with you." Baker said. Riley shook her head, and I said "I'm good."

Martinez nodded, "Okay. We'll see you around."

And they walked away, leaving me and Riley alone.

...

My mind suddenly went back to early, when she looked so upset.

She had sort of the same look on her face.

I nudged her shoulder, "Hey. I'm gonna go home and get some shut eye. You gonna be okay?"

She looked up at me, "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You just look a little, you know, upset."

She went silent again.

"Look, I know you said you don't want to talk about it, but you have to give me something. Anything."

She didn't say anything, and eventually she walked away.

...

I was shocked by what she had just done.

She straight up just walked away.

If she didn't want to talk about it that badly, she should have said something.

...

Oh well. She just needed some time for herself.

I sat down on the ground staring down at my feet, and I started thinking.

About Ellie. Well, mostly about where she was right now and if she was doing alright.

Well, at least she didn't have to deal with all of this crap.

* * *

**(Ellie)**

Ellie's experience ever since her "rescue", which is what the Fireflies had called it, from the Ghosts had been anything but pleasant. They took her to their hideout, ran some tests to see if she was actually immune, confirmed her immunity, and were heading out to Salt Lake City within a week or so.

And so far, it was hell. Sure, the Fireflies were treating her good and all, but the way they had taken her away from the Ghosts, from safety.

From Riley.

Ellie did not take it kindly, and the 'flies noticed it within the first few days, maybe hours.

To put it simply, Ellie hated her time with the Fireflies.

This day already was no different.

"Wake up, kid." One of the Fireflies said, shaking her shoulder.

Ellie reluctantly got up, rubbing the back of her head from the rough surface. She had slept on the solid floor of the house they had stayed in, not getting the luxury that she would have if she were still in Boston.

"We're leaving in thirty minutes, so grab a quick bite to eat, then we're heading out."

"I thought one of the jeeps was out of gas." Ellie said, recalling the reason they had stop so early the day before. One of the Humvees that the Fireflies had stolen from the Feds had run low on gas, and they were forced to stop for shelter earlier than the normal.

"Erin and Jake found some gas canisters in a house nearby. All full and ready for use. We got lucky, really."

Ellie stretched out for a second, asking, "Where are we, again?"

"We entered Illinois yesterday, so we should get to the city within the next three or four days."

Illinois.

If Ellie remembered from looking at those maps at the school, they were already really far away from Boston.

From the Ghosts.

From Riley.

Jesus, Ellie missed her like crazy. If Ellie was leaving in a timely and normal manner, she wouldn't miss her this much.

Who was she kidding, of course she would. But the way they got separated from one another was what hurt the most.

'She's probably trying to help them find me.' Ellie had been thinking over the last few days, but she doubted that was true. Riley idolized the Fireflies her whole life. She wouldn't just take up arms and fight them just because of her.

However, that didn't change a single thing.

It seemed like with every passing day, Ellie would miss Riley more and more. At one point she thought that she would never see her again, but that was going too far.

By this time, the Firefly had left the room. Ellie shook her head.

...

Another day on the road, and she hated it.

But, she still remained optimistic about the future.

Hopefully though, things would be okay. The Ghosts would find her. She would be with Riley again. They would make the cure and save the country.

Hopefully.

* * *

**(Brad)**

It's been a few hours since my last encounter with Riley, and I hadn't seen her since she walked away from me. My first guess, and the more likely option, was that she went back to where ever she was staying and hasn't left. The second was that she's been avoiding me in the short time since we got back.

I couldn't understand why she would do that, ignore me. Whatever I said must have really gotten to her.

Maybe I was just to aggressive, when I was trying to find out what was going on.

But I don't back down to easily.

'Cause I was right outside her door, and when I walked in, I wasn't going to back down.

I knocked first, speaking, "Look, I just want to talk. I'm coming in and you're not going to stop me."

I opened the door, finding Riley sitting on the couch. She was silent, the only sound coming from outside.

"You just don't give up, don't you?" Riley asked, not moving.

I closed the door silently, then walked over, "No, I don't."

I sat down in the chair nearby, "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong."

"There's nothing wrong."

"Don't give me that bullshit, Riley. I know somethings bothering you, and you are going to tell me what it is."

"Oh yeah," she said, standing up, "And how are you going to make me?"

I stood up as well, "I'm not, but everybody breaks eventually."

She shook her head, "I don't understand why you're so concerned over me."

"Because we're a team now. We're on the same side. We're supposed to be allies, somebody that we can rely on and trust, but you seem to not have that nailed down in your head yet."

"So your saying that you don't trust me?"

"No, but if we're going to do our job and get Ellie back, we need to be on the same side."

This conversation was so much like back on the day I met her and Ellie. She had been silent, and it really bugged me, and she flipped out on me.

I could sense that we were going down the same path right now.

And we did indeed.

Literally, the _exact_ same path.

"I just don't understand."

"Understand what?"

"Why you care so much."

I shook my head.

Here we go again.

"You can't be serious."

"What? Tell me how you care so much about me. Or Ellie."

"You know, if it wasn't for me, you'd probably be dead by now. You want to know, why? Because I fought for you."

She raised her eyebrow.

"I could have killed you and her back in the mall. I could have left you two behind crossing the city. I pulled a gun on my fellow soldiers for you and Ellie. I fought with my commanding officers to get them to let you stay here, because I know that you would die within a day out there on your own."

I continued, "I didn't have to do any of that. I _chose _to do all of that. Because since day one, it's been my job to look after you."

"But it isn't. I don't need you to look after me, and Ellie doesn't nee you. We can handle ourselves."

I laughed, "Yeah, and she can vouch for that while she's with the Fireflies, right?"

I _really_ pissed her off when I said that. I thought she would hit me. She didn't though.

"I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry, but I'm just trying to prove my point. We're a team now, and we look out for another. I'm doing that for you, and I have ever since I met you."

I placed my hand on her shoulder, "You've got to tell me what's going on, Riley. You can't hold it in any longer."

She stared at me for a long time, then down at the floor.

"You want to know what's really wrong?"

"Yeah. I do."

She sighed, "I just feel...guilty."

"About what?"

She walked over to the window, "About all the times I've fucked up in my life."

"Like when?"

"When Jackson died. I feel like I should have been there to stop him from running up so fast. And when Ellie got captured, it was my idea to go outside of the walls at night. When she got bit, I should have been there to help her. And my parents-." She stopped at that part.

I raised an eyebrow, "You're parents? What happened?"

She said nothing, and I sighed, "Okay. You don't have to tell me."

"I just don't want to make simple mistakes anymore. I feel like it's my fault about all of that."

"Riley," I said, walking next to her, her turning to face me, "None of that is on you."

"You don't understand."

"I do. I felt the same way multiple times."

"Like when?"

"Like when you first told me Jackson died. I kept thinking about all of the things is shouldn't have done, like go and get myself captured. And when Watts died, I should have seen the two people before they shot him, or tried to patch him up or something. And before I even joined the Ghosts, I met two people in Pittsburgh named Sam and Henry. Sam got infected and Henry put him and himself down. I felt guilty for weeks, thinking I should have been more careful about watching Sam, or taking out the infected faster."

"I know what you're going through because I've gone through it too, and the last thing you want is to have those thoughts eat at you throughout time."

She nodded.

"And about Ellie, I just have one question."

"What is it?"

"You love her, don't you?"

She hesitated, then responded, "Yeah. I do."

"Then I promise you, I _swear_ to you, that I will do anything in my power and to the best of my abilities to help get her back, even if it means putting my own life at risk. Alright?"

She nodded, "Okay."

I smiled, "Good."

I walked away to leave, but she spoke, "And Brad."

I turned around, "Yeah?"

"Thank you. For everything."

I smiled again, "I'm just doing my job."

I walked out.

* * *

**Another one down, a few more to go.**

**Now, I want all of my readers to read and reply to this in a review. I've been thinking of writing a sequel to this story, but I want reader's feedback to see what you guys think. I honestly wouldn't be this far into the story without you, and I can't thank you enough. So please leave a review letting me know what you guys want.**

**Happy Fourth to any American readers up this late.**

**Thank you, and good night, or good morning, or good afternoon (Time zones are complicated).**

**-Broncozfan623**


	14. Invasion

**Hello once again. I'm back.**

**Unlike last chapter, this one (chapter) will have tons, and I do mean TONS, of action. I feel that the chapters that have more action tend to be a lot better in my opinion. **

**Now, I have gone on and decided to go through and do a sequel for this story. Now, it won't be out for some time, but it will be happening. Step One, which COD to use next story, this is a Call of Duty/Last of Us fanfic after all (I'm leaning towards Advanced Warfare, but Black Ops III or continuing with Ghosts are options.) Leave your thoughts with a review.**

**That will go on behind closed doors, so no need to worry about it. Just enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

Riley and I haven't talked since yesterday. She was silent whenever I was nearby, and I really could not figure out why.

My first thought was that she was still upset about Ellie. It seems that even after we talked, what I had said didn't affect anything.

She would like some news that I would give her later.

Later, because right now we were busy.

The four of us were in the same backyard that we had buried Watts. His mask still hung over the cross that we had put down.

Martinez and Baker had dug a second grave next to Watts'. It was pointed South, towards Baltimore, where Jackson was born.

Yeah, we were burying Jackson, if you hadn't figured it out already.

Riley and I had been the ones who had lowered him inside, and Baker and Martinez began to fill the hole in.

Riley stared down as they worked and I nudged her, "You alright?"

"Fine. I guess."

"If it's about Jackson, then-,"

"It's not about Jackson." She said, interrupting me.

I was right. It was Ellie.

"We'll talk about it later." I said to her as Martinez and Baker finished up. They patted down the earth, and Baker placed Jackson's mask on top of the cross, just like we had done with Watts.

"So," Martinez said, "Anybody want to say a few words?"

Nobody said anything, so I stepped forward.

"I'm gonna be honest," I started, "I didn't know Jackson long. None of us did. But I think we all agree that Jackson was one of the most loyal soldiers any of us have ever met."

I continued, "No matter the odds, no matter the time, no matter the number of bullets he had left," We all laughed, "Jackson fought 'til the end."

I looked at the rest of the group, "And we will too. You may not think so, but we are so close to finishing this."

I looked up at Riley, and she raised her eyebrow.

Now was the time to explain.

"Two days from now, all of us except for Baker are heading to Denver, where hundreds of others are prepping for a full-scale invasion of Salt Lake City. We're going to take down the Fireflies, and most of all," I looked at Riley, "We're going to save Ellie."

Riley's expression showed a mix of shock and happiness. Martinez and Baker just smiled, and I did the same.

"We're going to end this," I pointed towards the two graves that contained two of our former teammates, "For them."

"I'm with you." Martinez said. Riley remained silent, and she looked as if she was still processing what I had just said. I didn't get to see Baker's reaction.

"Well, that being said, we need to head back." Baker said, "I'm leaving for New York in a few minutes."

"Alright," we all started to leave, but when I realized Riley hadn't moved, I stopped.

I walked over to her, "Well, what did you think of that?"

She looked up at me, "Why didn't you tell me that sooner?"

"I thought I would give you a little surprise. You knew this was going to happen eventually, so why do you seem so surprised?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. I just..."

She stalled, and I placed my hand on her shoulder.

"You've been waiting for this to happen. Lighten up. All we have to do is be patient."

We started walking back to the zone, and I spoke up again, "Trust me, Riley. Soon this will all be over. We won't have to fight anymore, and you and Ellie can do whatever the hell you want."

She smiled, "That'd be nice."

I laughed, "When that happens, just try not to get yourself in trouble, like you did back in the mall."

She punched me, "Shut the hell up."

...

Everything was looking bright.

Within the next few days, Ellie would be with us again. The Fireflies would be gone. The country would finally be saved.

Life could be normal for a change.

...

All we needed to do was not mess this up.

* * *

**(Ellie)**

**Two days later**

Ellie hated the site of the hospital as the Fireflies drove near. She had hoped for a huge mob of infected to swarm in, the Fireflies would focus their attention on them, and she would be able to escape in this jeep like a badass.

That never happened, obviously.

"Alright," the Firefly that was driving said, "Everybody out. We're heading inside."

Ellie reluctantly followed out of the jeep, and other Fireflies came over to deal with the equipment inside. The second one had been destroyed in an ambush back in Denver. Ellie had caught a glimpse of some Ghost symbols more than once on their journey across the country, and she had wondered if the ambush was set up by the Ghosts.

She doubted it though. If they were Ghosts, both of the Humvees would more than likely had been destroyed.

The hospital was lining with other Fireflies who had crossed the country over the last few days. Some were armed, others were not. Some were injured, others were not. Nearly every single one of them looked at Ellie as she walked past them.

"Where are we going exactly?" Ellie asked, taking her eyes off of the other Fireflies.

"Marlene wants to see you before anything else. She says that she has to explain some things to you."

'Hopefully she can explain the use of lethal force against us.' Ellie thought to herself. Her "rescue" still got her upset whenever she thought about it.

"Explain what?"

"I'm not sure. All I know is that there's some stuff you don't know about that needs to be explained."

Ellie shook her head. The dude was probably lying to her, and he there was definitely something that the Fireflies were hiding from her.

She couldn't figure out what it was though.

She knew something was up, but she had no idea what it was.

Whatever it was would have to wait, because the group had just arrived to the room Marlene was at.

The Firefly opened the door, revealing the room and Marlene. She was leaning against the wall on the left side of the wall, staring out a window. She looked over when she heard the door open.

"Ma'am," the Firefly said, "She's here." He motioned for Ellie to enter the room.

Ellie complied, reluctantly. She took a quick glance at the man's pistol that sat on his hip, but decided against grabbing it. If she did, half of the Fireflies would be on her in an instant.

Marlene walked over to them, hugging Ellie when she reached her, "I'm glad you're safe."

If things were different, Ellie would have hugged her back. But given the fact that she was brought here against her will, she didn't appreciate the act of kindness Marlene seemed to give.

Marlene noticed this, and when she pulled back, she looked at Ellie with a confused look. She stood up, turning to the Firefly, telling him "You're dismissed." He nodded, and left the two alone.

"You're acting weird. Are you okay?"

Ellie shrugged, "I don't know. I just feel that...something's up."

She looked at Marlene, "That guy said you had to tell me something I don't know."

"And?"

"Well, what is it?"

Marlene looked at Ellie with a concerned look, but she just began talking, "What I need to tell you is about the Ghosts, and whatever you may think of them."

Ellie felt the urge to shake her head, but restrained herself.

"What about them?" She asked, a tiny hint of concern popping up inside her.

"I want you to know that no matter what they told you or Riley,-"

"You _knew_ Riley was there?" Ellie cut her off, the concern growing larger.

"Yes, I did. I ordered my men to only rescue you for your, and her, own safety."

Ellie shook her head, "The Ghosts didn't do anything to me or Riley. We were fine,-"

"Ellie, they may have treated you well at first, but I know what those people are capable of. In fact, chances are they're going to storm right through this city pretty soon."

"To find me."

"Exactly."

Marlene sat down in the chair, "Trust me, Ellie. No matter what act the Ghosts put on, or how well they treated you two, they're terrible people. I've seen what they've done over the years, and they've committed atrocities that would make the toughest people sick."

"That's not what I experienced."

Marlene shook her head, "Ellie,"

"No, listen to me. Please. Just hear me out."

Marlene leaned back and stayed silent, allowing Ellie to continue.

"Now, I know what you may have seen over the years must have been terrible, but," Ellie thought back to the Ghosts she had met, specifically Brad, "The people Riley and I met back in Boston, they're good people. They looked out for us, and one of them nearly fought his own friends for us."

Marlene took this to consideration, and Ellie continued, "You may think that they're terrible people and kill because they want to, but that's not true. They have the same goal as you guys, so I think you should consider trying to talk to them. Try to negotiate, because I know they'll come through."

Marlene thought about this, but shook her head, "If their goal is the same as ours, than they will stop at nothing to get you back. The ones you met may have been good people, but that doesn't mean that the rest are too." The radio nearby started going off, and Marlene picked it up.

"Go ahead."

_"Ma'am, the last of our remaining men just arrived in the city. Everybody's here. You want to come address the troops?"_

"Sure. I'll be down in a few minutes. Tell them all to gather outside of the hospital."

_"Yes ma'am."_ The radio went silent.

Marlene looked over at Ellie, "I'll be back later. You can stay here, or I'll have somebody take you to a room for you to stay in. Making the cure will have to wait for a few days."

Ellie nodded, "Sounds good to me. I can stay in here, entertain myself."

Marlene smiled, "Alright. See you later."

She walked out of the room, and Ellie immediately moved.

...

She had a plan.

She was going to try and make contact with the Ghosts. If that was even possible with this tiny radio.

She changed the channel on the radio, and started speaking.

"Hello? Are there any Ghosts on here?"

...

No response.

So she tried again.

"Are there any Ghosts on this channel?"

Still nothing.

"C'mon," she said to herself, "Is anybody in this city? Please tell me."

...

...

...

The radio buzzed.

"Whoever this is, identify yourself."

Ellie's eyes widened in surprise.

She did it.

She made it through.

* * *

**(Brad)**

**15 minutes earlier**

I was awoken with the sound of the plane touching down on the ground.

And yes, you heard me right.

We took a plane to Denver.

Of course, it was one of those military planes. Merrick never told us where the hell it came from, but we took off at the airport (which was surprisingly clear of infected) and headed to Denver.

Riley, Martinez and I were mostly silent on the ride, and so was everybody else. Overall, there was about twenty of us in the plane, none of which I had known, excluding Riley, Martinez, and Merrick (who gave command in Boston over to someone I didn't know).

Riley stretched out to my right, "Are we here?"

"Seems like it. You got enough rest?"

She sat back, "Enough to get rid of my head ache from last night."

I laughed, "I told you you wouldn't be able to handle that much."

"I only had two beers!"

"Three."

"Fuck you."

I laughed again. Riley and I had become better friends over the last two days. She had told me times about her and Ellie, and all the shenanigans they would do in their times at the mall. I thought it was stupid at first, but to be honest, I was a little jealous. I never got the luxury of having as much fun as they did when I was in the military school.

"Martinez doesn't like this. Coming to Denver."

Riley looked over at me, "Why?"

I shrugged, "Beats me. Something about all of this is making him uneasy."

"When did he tell you?"

"While you were sleeping."

Martinez woke up all of the sudden, looking towards Riley and I.

"We there yet?"

I nodded, and he sighed, "I don't understand how you guys aren't afraid."

Riley leaned forward and looked at him, "Why are you so afraid?"

Martinez looked down, "I'm scared one of you is going to end up like Watts, or Jackson."

"So you're afraid of one of us dying?"

"I've lost two men already. I just don't want to lose a third."

I considered this, and spoke, "Listen man. Just because Watts and Jackson died doesn't mean we will. Remember, what we're doing here is for them, alright?"

Martinez nodded.

"Good. Now don't get so worked up about it. If I die, I'll die knowing I got to fight alongside some of the best soldiers I've ever seen."

Martinez laughed, "Man, you haven't even seen Riley in action. She's pretty badass."

Riley shrugged, smiling, "What can I say. I'm pretty awesome."

We all laughed.

About a minute later, the plane stopped moving, and the back hatch opened up.

Merrick stood up, "Alright. Before anyone gets off, you need to know something. The Ghosts here don't operate like we do. In fact this is there first large operation since the outbreak first began. So, cut them some slack if they're sloppy."

Some people laughed, myself included, and Merrick continued, "Now. Grab your gear, and let's go."

Everybody stood up, grabbing whatever they had with them at the time and heading out. Merrick called us, us being Riley, Martinez, and I obviously, over.

"You three are coming with me. I've got a feeling you can be useful in some way in command."

Martinez spoke up, "Are you sure you don't want somebody else?"

"No. You guys are the ones I want."

I nodded, "Lead the way."

Merrick smiled, "Command is this way."

We all walked away.

* * *

"Captain Merrick," one man said when we reached the command center, shaking Merrick's hand. It looked extremely similar to the one in Boston, with men working on monitors and looking at maps.

The man continued, "I'm Major Foley. I'm in command of all forces in the Denver area."

Merrick spoke up, "Nice to meet you, Major. I heard you needed some help with the invasion of Salt Lake City."

"Yes. Our manpower was pretty small compared to yours last week, but ever since people from Dallas, Minneapolis, and Chicago have all sent forces here, some even sending tons of equipment. Now, I feel we're finally ready."

Foley looked towards us, "Who are they?"

Merrick looked at us, "These are my three best soldiers. Staff Sergeant Brad Johnston, Sergeant James Martinez, and Specialist Riley Abel."

Foley looked a little surprised, but he wasn't as surprised as me.

Staff Sergeant? Something was up. I was never told I was being promoted.

"Sir, I'm a Specialist." I said, looking at Merrick with a confused face.

Merrick looked over at Martinez, and I did the same.

Martinez shrugged, a smile on his face "I was going to tell you."

"This was your idea?"

"Yeah. I thought it was best that you would be the one to lead the team on this one."

I was speechless.

Martinez dreamed of doing this: leading a squad into battle. But now, he was handing command over to me before our biggest fight.

"Why?" was all I could say.

"Because Brad, you are the most loyal out of us three, and it's only fitting that the most loyal leads the team."

He continued, "Not to mention that you've been easily the best soldier in this squad since the day you joined."

...

Wow.

What a class act by Martinez.

I smiled, "Thanks man."

"I'm just doing what's best for the team."

Foley was about to say something, but somebody interrupted him.

"Sir, we got incoming radio traffic. It's coming from Salt Lake City."

All of us looked up, and we followed Foley over.

"Have you identified the source?"

"No sir. Setting up a feed for you to talk."

Foley went over to a radio, and he spoke.

"Whoever this is, identify yourself."

The radio was silent, until a voice came through.

A voice that made Riley's eyes grow wide. Along with my own.

...

"My name is Ellie Williams. I've been captured by the Fireflies. They're keeping me at Saint Mary's Hospital in Salt Lake City."

...

I couldn't believe it.

Ellie had made contact with us.

How? I had no idea. But it didn't matter.

Riley looked as if she would burst, and I spoke to her.

"I'm going to try and talk to her, okay?"

She looked at me, then nodded.

...

I walked over to Foley, "Sir, I need to talk to her."

"Why should I let you?"

"Sir, she knows me. I was the one who rescued her in Boston. I found out she was immune."

Merrick steeped forward, "Let him talk. He's the only one that would be able to get through to her."

Foley thought about this, then motioned me over.

...

I pressed down the button to turn on the mic, "Ellie, can you hear me?"

There was silence for a second, then Ellie spoke again, "Brad? Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"Okay good. Now Ellie I need you to listen to me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Alright. We know where you are, and we're coming to get you. Can you give us a clue about where the hospital is? Any landmarks?"

"Umm...there's a hotel across the street, there's a sign that says 'Hilton'."

I looked over to somebody with a map of Salt Lake City, and he nodded.

"Good. Now, have the Fireflies done anything to you? Run any tests?"

"No, but they will tomorrow."

"Alright. We're going to need you to hold out for now. Whatever you do, try and get away from the Fireflies. Stay hidden until then."

"Okay. I'll try. Shit, somebody's coming. I have to go."

...

The radio cut off.

I stepped back, processing what happened.

By some miracle, Ellie was able to contact us. Now we know exactly where she is.

...

Now we can save her.

"When is the invasion?" I asked.

"Tomorrow. Noon." Merrick said.

I nodded.

...

Tomorrow, this will all end.

* * *

**(Ellie)**

**The next day, 12:39:05**

Ellie woke up to find lights flashing by above her. First thoughts made her think that the power was flickering, but she felt the air rushing past her.

It was then she realized that she was moving. Two people were pushing her down a hallway, their faces she did not recognize. Their clothing looked as if they were doctors.

"What the hell are you doing?" She said, sitting up slightly.

"Don't worry. We're going to take care of you."

"What are you talking about?"

The doctors didn't respond, and soon they were in a new room. The room looked as if they would be performing surgery on somebody.

Ellie sat up completely now, but the doctors laid her back down, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

One of the doctors spoke to the other, "We ready to extract the fungus?"

"Yes. We need to put the patient under."

...

Ellie started panicking.

...

These people were going to kill her.

...

She thought of what to do, and she remembered what Brad had said the day before.

...

_I need to buy the Ghosts some time._

If she didn't, she was going to die.

...

She looked around, finding a set of tools just in reach.

The doctors weren't paying attention to her, so they didn't notice her movements. She grabbed what should have been a sharp object, then laid back down.

One of the doctors came back to the bed, a syringe in his hand.

...

Ellie readied herself.

_If I want to survive, I have to do this._

She lunged upward, plunging the scalpel into the side of the doctor's throat. He dropped the syringe, allowing Ellie to grab that and jump up.

Before the other doctor could react to what had happened, Ellie plunged the syringe into his shoulder, and let the fluid flow into his body. The doctor collapsed immediately, and was out in a few seconds.

...

Ellie stood there, blood from the first doctor on her hands.

She couldn't believe what she had just done.

...

But it didn't matter right now. The Fireflies would be there soon.

She had to escape, even if it meant killing the 'Flies.

She ran out into the hallway.

* * *

_**"Invasion"**_

**July 24th, 2033, 12:55:29**

**Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America**

**Specialist Riley Abel, Task Force: STALKER**

**Status: Alive**

* * *

**Loadout:**

**Primary:** _Remington R5 Assault Rifle w/ Holographic Sight_

**Secondary:** _MK14 Marksman Rifle w/ Variable Zoom_

**Sidearm(Brad):** _.44 Magnum Handgun_

**Sidearm(Riley):** _Beretta Model 70 Handgun_

**Sidearm(Martinez):** _M9A1 Handgun_

* * *

We were flying pretty low as we headed into Salt Lake City. There wasn't a lot of gunfire as we initially flew in, but eventually the Fireflies brought out there RPG's.

In fact, one of birds had just gone down because of 'em.

"Patriot 1-1, we're intercepting radio traffic. It's Athena."

Athena was the name that command had given Ellie.

"Ellie. Can you hear me?" Brad said.

I heard Ellie respond through my own radio, "Yeah. I'm here. I had to kill one of their doctors, they're onto me."

"Stay calm. We're en route to you now. Where are you exactly?"

"Fifth Floor. Room 511. They don't know I'm here, but they will soon."

"Okay. Put the radio down and don't move. We're coming to you."

Ellie went silent, and Brad spoke to us, "Ellie's still with us. Keep your weapons tight and don't throw any shots."

"Are we going in to find her?" I asked.

Brad shook his head, "No. Granite Team is, we're watching their backs."

I nodded, but I was pretty upset that I wasn't going to be the one to help rescue Ellie.

Oh well. I had a job that needed to be done, so I would do it.

"Tank columns are dropping in from the sky!" Somebody yelled, and soon I could see a tank parachuting into the street.

Our chopper reached our drop point, and we all departed. We were met by infected.

"Hostiles incoming!" Martinez said, and we all began firing at the infected. More choppers flew past us in the skies, and one got knocked out right above our heads.

"We need to get to the roof so we can provide support for Granite!" Brad said, and he began walking towards the entrance into the building. Martinez and I followed, hearing Brad say "Keep moving!"

More infected were on the second floor, but we dealt with them quickly. The third floor was the most difficult, when five or six clickers showed up out of nowhere.

Brad dealt quickly with two of 'em, but he had trouble with a third, when he tried to shove his knife in it's throat. I helped him out though, and Martinez dealt with the others.

"Thanks," Brad said, then we continued moving.

Brad busted down the door, and we found actual Fireflies on the roof. They had locked door so that infected couldn't get through, which was a clever tactic. Not the most efficient, however.

"Secure the area quickly!" Brad said, firing at the Fireflies. On instinct they shot back, and a firefight started on the roof. The Fireflies didn't last long though, and we dealt with them pretty quickly.

While Martinez and I positioned ourselves on the roof facing the hospital, Brad called into command, "This is Patriot 1-1. Roof secure, green light on Granite."

"Granite 0-1, we're in position."

"Solid copy, 1-1. Will relay."

"We got bad guys on the roof." I said, pulling out my second rifle.

"Take 'em out. I got eyes on."

Martinez and I began firing at the Fireflies on the roof of the hospital. Some ran for cover immediately, but others fired towards our position. They fell before their bullets could reach us.

"Granite 0-1, overwatch established."

"Copy that. We're inbound."

In that moment, two choppers flew over our heads, firing missiles at the roof of the hospital. Not long after, another chopper flew over, the one that was carrying Granite.

"Granite team is on the deck now."

"Granite's got company. Door on the left." Martinez said.

I aimed over to find Fireflies running out. I took two of them down with one shot, earning a cheer from Martinez.

"Keep firing like that they'll all be dead by tonight!"

I smiled.

When they were all dead, Brad spoke, "You're clear, Granite. Keep moving."

Then Martinez spoke up, "Hostile tank on the road!"

I looked down to the street, and sure enough, a tank was driving towards the hospital. It fired up towards the roof, barely missing.

"Overwatch, we have Firefly tanks firing on Granite's position. Requesting fire mission!"

"Solid copy, 1-1, the air corridor is clear for our Apache's to commence gun runs."

A new voice came through, "Patriot 1-1, this is Valkyrie 2-6. In the airspace and at your service. Standing by for you to mark the first target."

Brad looked at me, "Riley, call in the air support."

"Got it."

I grabbed the indicator and aimed towards the tank, confirming the target. Not long after, a chopper flew from in the streets, and laid missiles down onto the tank.

"Direct hit."

"Two more tanks approaching. Take 'em out."

I did the same thing I had done with the first tank, and the results were the same. Two Firefly tanks were toast.

"Thanks for the guns, Valkyrie. We'll take it from here." Martinez said into the radio.

"Armor's down, Granite. You're good to go." Brad said as I fired onto infected down in the street.

"Copy. Thanks for the assist - we owe you one."

"Maintain eyes on the building." Brad told me, so I looked over towards the hospital. Granite breached inside a door, and disappeared from sight.

"Granite, do you have eyes on Athena?!"

"Affirmative! Shit! Left side! Got two more! Get out!"

Then the area exploded.

"Granite? Granite!"

Martinez shook his head, "They're gone."

"What the hell?!" I said out loud.

Brad spoke up, "Overwatch, Granite team is down. I repeat, Ghosts down. We're going after Athena."

I looked over at him with surprise, and he nodded to me.

"Affirmative, Johnston. Link up with the tank column to the south of your position and proceed to the target building. Over."

"Solid copy. Johnston out."

Brad went off running, Martinez and I behind him. We rapeled down the side of the building into a side street. We ran into a downed chopper, dead Ghosts on the round nearby.

"Got some casualties here." I said.

Brad looked down at one of the bodies, "Grab their patches and tags. And get SAR birds in here and get 'em out."

"Rog'." Martinez started, "It's Viking team. Overwatch, this is Patriot 1-2. I need evac for three casualties. Coordinates follow: Seven Romeo Eight Five One."

"Copy that, 1-2. We'll send in a SAR bird for evac."

"Not a good day to be a Ghost." I said to myself, hoping Brad didn't her it.

We ran into a destroyed stairwell, finding another Firefly tank pinning our own down.

"Patriot squad, we have Firefly armor firing on the bridge. We need you to take down that tank!"

"They're dug in straight ahead."

"Riley, take care of it. We'll cover you."

I nodded, though nobody was looking at me. I ran over towards where I saw an RPG, and fired it right at the back of the tank. It exploded on impact.

"Let's go. Move out." Brad said. We moved towards the larger street, meeting up with the tank that came in from the bridge.

"Follow those tanks. Stay close until we reach the hospital."

I did that, staying with the tank on the right side of the road. I fired at any Fireflies that came close to us, or were in the buildings to my right.

...

In my mind, every time I did, I thought about how much I failed my father. I was supposed to join the Fireflies for him, but now I was killing them.

But I didn't care.

I only killed them to get Ellie back.

She was all that mattered to me.

These people weren't going to stop me.

...

At one point, a Firefly rushed me, and I ended up flipping him over my body. When he landed, I fired two shots into his head.

_This is wrong of you._

I pulled my pistol out and fired four rounds into two more Fireflies.

_You shouldn't be doing this._

I pulled a grenade from my waist, pulled the pin, and hurled into a group of Fireflies, killing them all.

_They will know._

I didn't get to understand what that last thought meant, because a building to my left exploded, and the building collapsed onto the tanks.

I blacked out.

* * *

I woke up to somebody yelling at me. My hands were lifted up towards my face. They weren't bloodied, so I seemed to be okay.

I saw Brad moving towards me, saying, "It's an ambush! We got to get the hell out of the kill zone. Move! Move!"

He picked me up, "Head for the building."

"Patriot 1-1, we've lost contact with the tank division commander. What's the status on the ground?"

"The tank column is down and we're getting overrun. This A.O. is lost!"

Brad and I vaulted over some debris, and I could think Martinez was behind us. I looked back, and he was, thankfully.

"Missed your last, 1-1. Say again."

Brad responded angrily, "They dropped a damn building on us!"

"Johnston, advise immediate pull back to extraction point."

"Negative, Overwatch! We are going for the girl. Her beacon is still active."

"You'll need to move fast. Salt Lake City is falling. We'll maintain ISR, over."

Brad kept moving, and so did Martinez and I.

I spoke up, "They must have rigged the building to blow if our tanks got this far..."

"Man...this is some bullshit." Martinez said.

We continued moving, eventually finding an opening to the street. The entrance to the hospital was right across the street.

"There it is!" Brad said, moving towards cover before firing at the Fireflies. They went down quickly, and soon we were insider the hospital.

"Overwatch, we're at the target building. Any update on the girl?"

"They're moving her to the third floor for extraction. You have zero time."

In my mind, I started to panic.

We were going to lose Ellie again if we didn't hurry.

Brad sprinted into the hospital and up the stairs, me right behind him. Martinez wasn't far back.

"Head for the roof!" Brad said as we climbed the stairs.

"Patriot 1-1, ISR shows they're extracting the girl now. Advise you stand down and head to an alternate LZ."

Brad yelled back, "No! We can make it!"

...

Then we heard Ellie yell, "I'm here! Help!"

My mind went blank, and I ran as fast as I could down the hall. Unfortunately, Brad beat me to the door, so he was in front when we breached.

"She's behind here." He said, then he went to open it.

...

But the door burst open in an explosion. Brad fell down against me, and Fireflies were coming towards us. So I grabbed his magnum from its holster, and fired at them.

Brad recovered and ran through, myself included.

But we were too late.

...

I saw Ellie struggling to escape the grip of a Firefly, and she fell to the ground.

I heard Brad yell, "NO!" but we could only watch them fly away.

...

Ellie and I made eye contact, and I saw tears forming in her eyes.

Martinez ran in and aimed for the chopper, but Brad stopped him.

"Don't. We can't risk it."

Brad's hand went to his radio, "Overwatch, negative precious cargo. We lost her."

...

Then silence. There was distant gunfire, but we were all silent.

Our one chance. Gone.

I felt anger rising inside me, and I knocked over some debris.

"FUCK!" I yelled, feeling somebody grab my shoulder.

I turned to see Brad.

"Keep yourself together! It's alright."

I stepped back, "How the hell can you say that?! Our one chance at ending all of this is gone!"

I felt tears starting to form in my eyes, so I turned away.

"Ellie's gone. Again."

Martinez and Brad were silent.

Brad grabbed my shoulder, leading me out.

"We'll get her back. I promise. Next time, we won't fail."

I could only hope that he was right.

* * *

**(Brad)**

I want to say that everything went well after that, but it didn't.

Why?

Because I found something I shouldn't have found.

...

As we walked out, I noticed something shining out of the corner of my eye. Riley and Martinez were ahead of me, so they didn't notice my actions.

...

What I found, was a Firefly pendant.

That belonged to Riley.

_Riley Abel_

_000129_

...

I was shocked, disappointed, upset. All at once.

But what was I more than all.

Angry.

More like really fucking pissed off.

_That fucking traitor._

_..._

I walked up from behind Riley, turned her around, and punched her square in her cheek. Martinez yelled at me, and tried to stop me, but he failed.

I pulled my knife, but she caught it before it could make contact with her throat.

Martinez pulled me back before I could do anything else, then stood between me and her.

"What hell is wrong with you?!"

I didn't say anything, but I pushed him out of my way, then pulled my magnum out, aiming it right at Riley, who hadn't gotten up.

I pulled the pendant out, then tossed it to her.

"You got a lot of explaining to do, and only a little time." I said, a look of sheer rage and anger on my face.

Martinez looked down, then very quietly said 'Jesus Christ.'

Riley looked extremely shocked and heartbroken. Why heartbroken? Not a clue.

"I didn't know the Fireflies were so quiet."

Riley looked at me, "I can explain."

"Than do it. Or there's a round going straight through your skull and Ellie will never see you again."

Oh, that got to her. She stood up, and sighed.

"It's a long story, but I will explain everything."

She then went on to explain how Ellie and her had gotten into some argument and she left her for the Fireflies. She had been told she was going to Rhode Island, but wanted to see Ellie one more time. Ellie was the one who made her quit the Fireflies, and that's the day I met them.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her."

At this point I had put my gun down.

...

Ellie got Riley to quit the Fireflies. That's how much they care about each other.

They must really, like _really_, love each other.

"Give me the pendant."

She did reluctantly, and when she did, I tossed it away.

"You're not going to kill me, are you?" She asked, looking as if she desperately wanted an answer.

I looked down, then back up at her.

"No, I'm not. That doesn't matter anymore. You're one of us now, and nothing can change that."

I continued, "And, I'm sorry for, you know, beating the shit out of you."

She smiled, "You didn't hit me _that_ hard."

I laughed, "Well, okay then."

I walked away, "Come on. Let's go home.

* * *

**Another one down.**

**This chapter is going up early, compared to others. I'm updating only 2 weeks after the last chapter was posted, which is pretty crazy if you ask me. I don't understand how people can update stories every week.**

**Anyhow, hope you enjoyed this. Next chapter will be the second to last one, so this story is coming to a close fast.**

**Until next time.**

**-Broncozfan623**


	15. Endgame

**Hello again.**

**You've made it this far, and unfortunately, I have to say that this story is coming to an end. This chapter is not the last, however, so another one will be coming (as well as a custom soundtrack for this story). Although, know that this story is nearing the end.**

**Now, let's discuss this chapter. No new characters from COD, but there are some from TLOU that come in, and although they don't play a huge role, their role is kind of significant. Action won't be nearly as much as last chapter, but there will be some action involved.**

**Continue on. I don't want to waste your time.**

* * *

"What's the status on the ground?"

"All remaining forces have reported that they are out of the city. Everybody's now heading towards the FOB at Brigham City."

"Infected are flooding the streets. We've got Apaches gunned up and ready to clear them out."

"Hold the choppers for now. Do we have word on the one carrying Athena?"

"ISR confirms that the chopper is heading north towards Jackson, Wyoming. We can knock them out of the sky from there."

"No, we need Athena alive. The rest on that helo are crew expendable. I want to divert Patriot squad and Ghosts 6-1 and 6-2 to Idaho Falls. From there, they can move on Jackson and reclaim Athena. Captain Merrick, can you make that happen?"

"Of course I can. They'll be there by nightfall."

"Alright. The FOB at Idaho Falls can coordinate. Good work everyone."

* * *

**(Ellie)**

Ellie couldn't believe what had happened.

They were right there. If the Fireflies hadn't rigged that door, they could've saved her.

...

But of course, things didn't go as planned.

Now she was sitting in this chopper, with two Fireflies watching her every move, Marlene sitting in silence to her left, her head in her hands, and the blood sticky on her hands from the doctors there.

But even all of that wasn't what pained Ellie the most.

...

It was someone that was down below the chopper as they flew off.

Not Brad. Not Martinez.

But Riley was there.

And she was one of them.

...

Riley was a Ghost now, and Ellie had so many questions.

How long had she been one of them?

When did she join them?

And more importantly: Why?

Was it because of her? Was Riley that desperate, or felt that guilty, that she had to help get her back?

Ellie knew how much the Fireflies meant to Riley. She idolized them in their time at the military school, and even left Ellie behind for them.

Now she was fighting against them, as if everything that Riley had thought before Ellie's kidnapping meant nothing.

...

Ellie was so confused that she didn't notice Marlene lift her head up and look up.

"Just under three hundred people," she said, then looked up at the ceiling, "Now we're down to five."

She looked over at Ellie, "What the hell were you thinking? Those animals weren't going to help you. Just look at what they've done."

Ellie didn't say anything, just keeping her eyes down.

Marlene shook her head, "How much longer until we reach Jackson?"

"Not long, ma'am. Should be around ten minutes."

"Good. When we reach the town, land outside. We don't want any trouble with these people."

Ellie continued to look down, wondering what was at Jackson that made Marlene want to go there. Like she had said, the Fireflies were all but gone, and Marlene had mentioned earlier that if the Ghosts attacked and they couldn't get Ellie out, they would stand down and surrender.

But, they got Ellie out, so this war would continue to go on. Marlene seemed hell bent on continuing, even when she was outnumbered 100-1.

Ellie shook her head. This was pointless. If Marlene would just give up and hand Ellie over, everything could be fine. But no, this was still happening.

She wouldn't be safe, or as safe as she could feel, for a long time. All because of Marlene's undying loyalty.

...

What a joke.

Ellie spent so much time inside of her own mind that she didn't notice the chopper land, or the door slide open. One of the two Fireflies motioned her out with his rifle. Ellie only complied because he was armed.

Marlene was standing outside, waiting. She looked over towards the pilots.

"Stay here. I'll send Dawes out to get you soon enough."

"Yes ma'am."

Marlene turned around, finding three people armed with rifles aimed directly at her. The two Fireflies stood in front of her, copying the other's postures, but Marlene spoke up.

"Stand down. They're not our enemy." She stepped forwards, and recognized the man in the center of the group.

"I never thought the war would make its way out here." He said, lowering his weapon. He motioned for the other two, two women, to do the same.

"I had no other choice. There's no places left, and I need to keep her safe."

She pointed towards Ellie, who kept her left hand over her arm. The man eyed her curiously, then walked over to her.

"Who's this?"

'Somebody you don't need to worry about.' Ellie wanted to say, but decided against it.

"I'll explain it to you more if you let us inside."

The man looked at her with a strange look, but eventually led them forwards.

...

More strangers that Ellie would have to stay with now.

All she could hope for is that this would be over soon.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Tommy. I didn't want this as much as you did." Marlene said, looking up at the man as he closed the door behind them.

The man named Tommy turned around to look at her, "It's alright. Just tell me everything that happened."

"After the girl was confirmed to be immune, I had everybody head to Salt Lake City. I wanted to have the city secure so the Ghosts couldn't come in and mess anything up, but...-"

Marlene stuttered, struggling to recall the invasion.

"They came in full force. It seemed like they had all gathered themselves just to invade the city. Choppers, tanks, infantry. You name it, they were prepared. I got so many calls for help that I had to ignore."

"Because the girl was more important?"

"Because the girl was more important."

The two were silent for a moment, before Tommy spoke up. "So how long are you going to be here? If they found you in Salt Lake City, they can find you anywhere."

"I know, and I don't want to be here long. I just wanted to get the girl out of there. It's safest for her here, and I know you don't want anything to do with us again, but this is all I'm asking of you."

"And if the Ghosts do find you?"

Marlene shook her head, "Who knows? Maybe they'll let us go, but they're going to go after the girl. She's their main focus."

Tommy sighed, "Then you better do your best to keep her safe."

"Trust me. I've tried."

* * *

_**"Endgame"**_

**July 26th, 22:10:36**

**Jackson, Wyoming, United States of America**

**Staff Sergeant Brad Johnston, Task Force: STALKER**

**Status: Alive**

* * *

**Loadout:**

**Primary:** _Honey Badger Assault Rifle w/ Red Dot Sight_

**Sidearm(Brad):** _.44 Magnum Handgun_

**Sidearm(Riley):** _Beretta Model 70 Handgun_

**Sidearm(Martinez):** _P226 Handgun_

* * *

"Patriot 1-1, we've reached entry point B. We'll meet you at the RV point in five."

"Copy 6-1. See you there."

We hadn't reached our entry to the town yet, and to be honest, we were nowhere close. All I want to say is that we were on the move, and were just outside of the wall.

We were crouched in the woods, and there were two guards with flashlights shining the area nearby. They were stood on a catwalk on the inside of the wall, and had every advantage if we got into a gunfight.

"Is this the right place?" Riley asked from behind me. Our relationship hadn't changed since Salt Lake City, and she didn't seem to mind the fact that I tried to shove a knife into her throat. I was thankful, but I still felt guilty for what I had done.

I mean, I assaulted her without warning and tried to kill her. I didn't deserve to get the forgiveness she gave me.

Oh well. I had to deal with this right now. Ellie was the priority.

I responded, "No. We have to get on the other side of this area. Only problem is the guards."

"What's our ROE?" Martinez asked.

"Only engage if they serve a threat to Athena. These guys don't count."

Riley chimed in, "Why don't we just knock them out?"

"We would if we had tranquilizers. Not an option."

"Dammit."

We were silent, and soon I had an idea.

"We can make a sound to distract them. Like with infected, we just have to move their focus from our position."

I picked up a large rock, "Watch."

I threw the rock over the wall, and it hit the side of a building. The two guards move their attention, and I signaled for us all to go. We made it just in time for the guards not to notice a thing.

"Good. Now we keep moving."

All of us moved quietly as we headed for our entry point. When we reached it, Martinez radioed to Hesh and Logan.

"6-1, we're at entry point A. What's your status?"

"We've got eyes on the target building. Riley's getting feisty."

Riley spoke up, "What are you talking about?"

I smiled, "It's their dog. You've got the same name."

"That's gonna be a problem." Martinez said jokingly, receiving nothing from Riley.

When I was finished cutting a hole in the fence, we entered the town. We were right outside people's houses, and if anybody found us, we would be screwed.

"Alright. NVG's on. Let's link up with Hesh and Logan." I said, pulling down my night vision goggles, walking out into the street. Luckily, there were no patrols out on the street, so we would have quicker access to the RV point.

It didn't take us long to find Hesh and Logan, as they were right across the road from the target building.

"6-1, we're approaching the RV point. Watch your fire."

"Copy. We see you."

We walked up to them, and I spoke to Hesh, "Athena should be inside there," I said, pointing towards the building. It had once been a large house, and seemed to be the perfect place for the Fireflies to hide out. Command said they would likely be in the basement, and that we had to be as quiet as possible.

"If she's anywhere in this town, this is the place. We can provide overwatch if you go inside and sweep the first two floors. Then we can sweep the basement all together."

"Sounds good."

I motioned to Riley and Martinez, and we moved towards the building. We stacked up on the door, and I slowly opened it, staying as quiet as possible.

"Living room clear. Riley, sweep the upstairs. Martinez, on me. Check your corners."

"Copy." Riley said, and she walked towards the stairs. Martinez went to sweep the kitchen.

"Kitchen clear."

"Hall clear."

"Bedroom clear."

We finished sweeping the first and second floors, and soon Hesh, Logan, and Riley (the dog) joined us inside. I led the way down the basement stairs, and the first room we entered was filled with a bunch of junk. Mostly garbage, but it looked as if the place had been trashed for a reason.

"Watch your step. Martinez, watch our backs."

"Rog'."

I heard Riley mutter to herself, but didn't respond.

There was only one doorway, and when we got close, I heard muffled voices.

This was it.

"I got voices through this door. Riley, go with Logan and find a second entryway."

Logan walked off, Riley behind him. Not long after they left, Logan spoke.

"We found another entryway. No guards."

"Good." I said, then I cracked the door open a tiny bit. There were about four people, and nobody noticed when I had opened the door. Ellie was not among them.

...

This is it.

"Okay. Let's finish this. On three."

...

This was finally over.

"Three."

We did it.

"Two."

We got her back.

"One."

_All_ of it was over.

"Go!"

Hesh and I rushed in, Riley pouncing on one enemy. Logan and Riley fired at the same one, both of their shots hitting. Hesh and I dealt with the last two. The whole affair lasted less than half a minute.

Suddenly the dog ran towards a door, clawing at it.

"There! Riley found her!"

I ran, over opening the door, only to have a bullet hit the wall.

"The hell?!"

Then Ellie screamed, "Get the fuck away from me!"

I took my goggles off, turning on a flashlight. I ran up to her, crouching in front of her.

"Ellie! It's okay, it's us."

I took my mask off, "Look. It's me. It's me, Brad."

Realization rose in Ellie's eyes, and tears started to form in her eyes. Hesh and Logan assessed the area behind me, and Riley stood nearby, looking away.

Before I could do anything else, Ellie collapsed into my shoulder, tears flowing out like people in a crowd. I sat motionless for a moment, then wrapped one of my arms around her.

"It's okay. You're safe now. It's over. It's all over."

...

I never thought how much Ellie and Riley would affect my life when I met them. Before, I was just some other soldier, fighting a war that seemed nearly pointless.

Then those two showed up, and changed everything.

They brought hope to every one of us. Hope that one day, we would live without all of the death.

If I had never gone into that mall to find those girls, I wouldn't be in the position I was in.

And I can't say I wasn't happy, because I was.

...

Once Ellie had eventually gathered herself, I helped her stand up.

"Are you okay?" I said to her.

She nodded, but her eyesight was on anyone but me.

...

I looked over to notice she was looking at Riley.

"Who's that?" She asked me.

...

Right.

I remembered Ellie and Riley's relationship at that moment.

I didn't know how Ellie would react if she found out Riley was one of us.

But she deserved to know, so I would show her.

"Riley." I said, Hesh and Logan watching the whole exchange.

...

Riley looked as if she didn't want to turn around.

She didn't want Ellie to see her like this. A Ghost.

Maybe she thought Ellie would be upset with her.

...

"Riley." I said with a higher tone.

Finally, she turned around, not bothering to look at me.

Ellie looked as if she would break down.

I looked over at Hesh and Logan, then nodded towards the doorway. They understood, and they left, the dog following.

I lit a flare that I had and followed, closing the door behind me.

"Those two are close, aren't they?" Hesh asked.

"Yeah. She's the only reason Riley joined us."

He nodded, then we were silent.

* * *

**(Riley)**

I could only stand there.

Ellie was in utter shock, and I could understand why. After all that I had said about the Fireflies, fighting against them shouldn't have been what she expected.

I sighed, "I can explain-,"

I was silenced by her rushing forward and hugging me as tight as she could. I was surprised at first, but all I could do was hug her back.

...

I thought she would be upset with me. After all that I had done, killing all of those Fireflies at Salt Lake City. I didn't expect her reaction to be this.

Then again, I don't know what I was supposed to expect either.

...

Ellie spoke up, her voice muffled by my shoulder, "I missed you."

I wrapped my arms around even tighter, "I missed you too."

She pulled back to look at my face, and I did the same. I was shocked to see her smiling.

"You know, I never thought I would see you wearing that stuff."

She was talking about the markings on my face. You know, the black, white, and blue markings that the Ghosts normally have.

"It's normal. You're going to have to get used to it."

She laughed. "How long have you been with them?"

"Ever since the Fireflies took you away."

Her smile faded, and she pulled away. I obviously noticed this, and spoke up.

"Did they do anything to you?"

She rubbed her neck, "They tried, but Marlene stopped them."

...

Marlene.

She made it out of Salt Lake City.

And if she was alive, she was a target.

But I didn't want to find her. Marlene seemed like she was still looking after Ellie, and I didn't want to kill the person I had idolized for so long.

But then again, I wasn't one of them anymore. I was a Ghost now, and the Fireflies were my enemy.

Plus, they tried to hurt Ellie.

...

I needed to know where Marlene was.

"Ellie. Where did-," I began, only to be interrupted by Brad entering the room.

He looked at Ellie, then me, "Everything going okay?"

I nodded, "Yeah. We're fine."

"Good, because we've got to move now. Our window is closing fast."

I sensed Ellie's eyes were on me, and they were. She looked worried, as if she was concerned about what I was going to ask.

"What's the matter?" Brad asked, noticing her expression.

I shook my head, "Nothing. Let's get going."

Brad didn't look convinced, but Ellie and I followed out him of the room.

...

We were just about to leave the house before our radios buzzed.

"Teams, our drones have picked up Firefly activity to the east. They're trying to escape on Zodiacs."

"What the hell are zodiacs?" I asked.

"They're boats. They're trying to get away via the river. Command, this is Patriot 1-1, I'm en route."

Brad walked away, but Martinez grabbed his shoulder.

"Hold on. What about the girl?"

"Ellie's no safer if they're still around."

"Brad, that's not the mission. We got we came for, now let's go!"

"Patriot 1-1. They're moving fast towards the river. Time is running low."

Brad didn't respond, but instead stood a little taller, "I know what the mission is, and while we may have done what we came here to do, I'm not passing an opportunity to kill that son of a bitch!"

He stepped back, "I'm doing this with or without any of you. So if you're coming, now's the time to do so."

...

I thought about this.

Brad said Ellie wasn't safer if Marlene was still around.

But Marlene helped Ellie from the other Fireflies.

I wanted to help Brad, but I couldn't leave Ellie.

Not after saving her.

...

I looked at her, and she knew instantly what I was doing.

I stepped forward, "I'll go."

All eyes were on me.

...

I couldn't look at Ellie, not wanting her to change my mind.

Brad was surprised, "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, I am."

I felt bad for leaving Ellie again after only a short time, but I had to do this.

For her.

Brad nodded, "Okay, you follow me. Martinez, get Ellie out of here."

Martinez nodded, but he looked doubtful about all of this.

...

I began to follow Brad, but I felt somebody tugging me backwards, spinning me in the process. I didn't get to react before Ellie was pulling me down and kissing me, her arms wrapped tightly around my neck.

When she pulled back, she whispered, "I love you."

I traced my thumb over her cheek, "I love you too. Stay safe, okay?"

"You too."

...

She pulled her arms down, and I walked off with Brad. He was looking at Ellie, then whispered to me.

"You're absolutely positive you want to do this?"

I nodded, "Yes."

...

He nodded, "Okay, now let's go end this."

We ran off.

* * *

**(Brad)**

This is for the record.

History is written by the victor.

History is filled with liars.

If she lives and we die, her truth becomes written - and ours is lost.

Marlene would be a hero. 'Cause all you need to change the world is one good lie and a river of blood.

She would be able to pull the greatest trick a liar ever played on history.

Her truth would be _the_ truth.

But only if she lives, and we die.

* * *

**(Riley)**

**10 minutes later**

"They're just over there. Come on!" Brad yelled, heading down towards the small dock. Marlene had already entered one of the Zodiacs and was speeding off. There was one left over, however.

"You drive, I'll shoot. Let's go!" Brad hopped into the boat, and I did the same. Soon enough, we were speeding down the river after them.

The chase was on.

...

As we went down the river, our night vision goggles on, we could see what looked like soldiers on the banks of the river.

"More Fireflies?!" Brad yelled, firing at them.

"They must have escaped from the city!"

"Doesn't matter. Keep driving, I'll keep them suppressed!"

Marlene's boat kept getting farther and farther away, no matter how fast we went. Brad kept firing at any Fireflies that were on the side of the river.

Eventually I lost sight of Marlene, but Brad didn't.

"Go left!"

I did just that, and we were in a large, open lake. The only things on the lake were us and Marlene.

But then helicopters showed up.

"Stay clear of open areas!"

"There's nowhere to go!"

"Just avoid their gunfire!"

One chopper was firing on the lake at us, and we just barely were able to avoid them.

Where the Fireflies got this firepower after Salt Lake City was beyond me.

"RPG's on the bridge!"

We got past those guys, and the choppers flew off because we were too close to Marlene.

"Rapids up ahead! It's going to get rough, hang on!"

When we hit the first one, I swear I nearly flew out of the boat.

"Shit!"

"You good?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

The rapids got worse as we continued, and Brad and I went through a lot of bouncing just for everything to settle.

"Patriot 1-1, we're intercepting Firefly radio traffic. Patching you through."

...

We heard Marlene's voice come through.

"Avatar One, give me a sitrep, over!"

"I have Warhorse 5-1 standing by. Pave Low's downriver ma'am."

"Copy that. Be advised, we're comin' in hot!"

Brad yelled out, "They're gonna get away. Punch it!"

"It's already punched!" I yelled back.

We saw Marlene's boat enter a helicopter, and start to lift off.

...

We were about to miss our chance, but Brad looked back at me.

"Riley! Hold it steady!"

I pulled on the controls to slow down the boat, and held it as much as I could.

Brad was aiming for the bottom of the helicopter.

...

What was he...

He fired three times, and the third shot made the chopper explode partially. It started to spin uncontrollably downward.

...

Unfortunately, we were heading for a waterfall.

"Back up! Back up!" He yelled, but it was useless.

We were doomed to fall.

...

The boat tipped over and I blacked out in the water.

* * *

I woke up on a beach, coughing heavily from lack of oxygen. I managed to sit up on my hands and knees, but I felt extremely weak.

Brad was nowhere to be seen.

Neither was Marlene.

...

I wanted to go out and look for Brad, but that crash probably drew a lot of attention from infected, so that wasn't an option.

...

So I had to go find Marlene.

I drew a knife that I still had, and walked off.

...

There was a Firefly crawling away from the crash site, leaving a trail of blood. I ended his suffering, and moved on. Another one was on the ground outside of the chopper, and he grabbed a pistol from the ground, only for it to have no ammo. I ended his life as well.

Then Marlene stumbled out of the wreckage.

I stood motionless, and Marlene noticed me. She looked at me for a second, then walked away.

I had to go after her.

I had to kill her.

So I followed.

...

I found her leaning against and old car, looking out of energy. I saw that as my opportunity.

...

This was it.

...

I could end it all.

...

I brought my knife up and tried to stab her.

Key word: Tried

Because she grabbed my arm.

And before I could react, she slammed my head into the top of the car, knocking me down to the ground.

...

Then she pulled a knife out of her own, and stabbed me right in the stomach, causing me to black out yet again.

...

...

...

"Over these last twenty year...I have lost over thirty thousand men to your people's hands. And the world has just fuckin' watched."

When I opened my eyes again, Marlene was loading round into a magazine.

"Tomorrow there will be no shortage of volunteers, no shortage of patriots."

She loaded the magazine, then cocked the weapon, aiming it at my face.

"I know you understand."

...

So this was it.

My life was over.

I thought of Ellie, realizing that I would never see her again.

Same with Brad, Martinez, and Baker.

So many people I would never get to talk to again.

Thanks to Marlene.

...

But, death never came.

Brad finally showed up.

He knocked Marlene's aim away, and eventually knocked the gun out her hand.

Brad would be able to hold off Marlene, I just had to get the gun.

...

I struggled just to crawl, thanks to the knife in my stomach. I heard the fighting going on next to me, and hurried.

I saw Brad get knocked to the ground, just as I reached the weapon.

Only for Marlene to kick it away, and then kick me in the face.

...

My vision constantly faded, as I saw Brad and Marlene fighting. There was one point when Marlene knocked him back, and one where Brad was able to get a few hits on her, and once Marlene had Brad to the ground, and kicked him in the stomach.

My vision finally stayed when Marlene sat above Brad, constantly punching him in the face.

He couldn't fight back. He was knocked out.

...

I had to do something, or he would die.

I noticed one of my hands was near the knife, and I grabbed the handle.

...

I couldn't believe I was doing this.

I began to pull the knife out of my stomach. It hurt, obviously, but the farther out it got, the more fierce the pain. I eventually used my second hand to help pull it out, and not long after, I succeeded.

I spun the bloodied blade around in my hand, looking towards Marlene.

...

I brought up the strength to speak only four words.

"This is for Ellie."

I brought my arm back and threw the knife, just as Marlene looked up.

...

Let's just say it met it's target.

And I fell unconscious again.

* * *

**(Brad)**

I woke up in a lot of pain. I ran my hand over my face, and noticed there was a leg over me.

It was Marlene's.

And she had a knife in her eye.

She was dead.

...

I only thought about what we had accomplished.

Marlene was dead. It was over.

...

But I had to get out of here. I had to get Riley out of here.

So I pushed Marlene's leg off of me, rolling over. I saw Riley laying down, not moving.

"Riley..."

I stood up, but I stumbled down next to her, my body too weak to stand.

I looked down at her, noticing the large wound in her stomach.

"Shit." I said, assessing the damage.

I couldn't just sit there and look at it, I had to help.

...

Watts died this way. Don't let it happen again.

So I did what I could to patch up the wound, only to be interrupted by a helicopter flying nearby. It landed, and I noticed Martinez getting out.

"It will hold for now." I said to her, even though she probably couldn't hear me. I grabbed Riley and walked over, Martinez standing near.

"I thought this would be a one way trip." I said, struggling to carry her.

"Looks like it still is. They'll be looking for us, you know."

Riley nearly collapsed, and Martinez walked up to help.

"Martinez, we gotta get Riley out of here."

"Yeah. I know a place."

* * *

**Another one is done.**

**Yeah, I used Modern Warfare 2's ending, but this is not the final chapter. The NEXT chapter is the final one, and it won't be as confusing as this one probably was.**

**Hope you enjoyed it. Leave a review!**

**-Broncozfan623**


	16. Aftermath

**You've made it this far.**

**And all good things come to an end.**

**Yes, this is the final chapter. This story has had its ups and its downs, but everything has gone well, and now we've hit the end of the road.**

**Now, I really want this chapter to be the best, because this chapter is the last one, and it's special for that reason alone. Please let me know what you think of it once you're done.**

**Now enough blabbering. Continue on.**

* * *

_**"Aftermath"**_

**July 27th, 08:47:12**

**Idaho Falls, Idaho, United States of America**

**Staff Sergeant Brad Johnston, Task Force: STALKER**

**Status: Alive**

* * *

**(Brad)**

I couldn't tell you much of what happened after we took off, because I fell asleep. When I woke up though, there was tons of gunfire, and you could hear the sounds of people screaming.

Martinez shook my shoulder, saying, "Come on! We've got to get Riley to a doctor."

There was a stretcher already rolled out next to the chopper, so we lifted Riley up and placed her down. She stopped bleeding, the bandaging that I had put on her doing it's job.

As we rolled towards the building, I looked up at Martinez, "What the hell is happening here?"

"I've got no idea. All I know is that Idaho Falls is on the brink and we have to get out of here as soon as we can."

So we were back in Idaho Falls, the place they sent us so we could go get Ellie back.

...

Speaking of, what happened to her?

"What about Ellie? Is she okay?"

The words made Riley stir, as if she heard me.

"Ellie's okay. Hesh and Logan got her to safety. They should be heading to Los Angeles as we speak."

We finally reached the building, finding other soldiers either running out to the frontline, or being carried inside because of their wounds. We found a room upstairs, and there was a doctor there with four other soldiers. I walked up to the doctor, leading him towards Riley.

"She needs help, now!"

The doctor went straight to her, and I stepped back.

"Brad, Martinez. Can you guys hear me?" I heard through my comms.

...

It was Merrick.

"Merrick? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Trying to help you guys not die! Athena made it out and is heading to LA. Idaho Falls is getting torn apart, you have to get out of there."

"We can't. Riley is wounded. If we leave now she won't make it."

The doctors spoke up behind me, "She'll make it through. I just need time."

I nodded, "Merrick, when can you send an exfil for us?"

"There's a chopper a few blocks down the road. If you can make it there before the next force comes, you'll be fine."

Martinez spoke up, "What force? Who the hell is attacking us?"

"The Europeans. They came back, and they don't plan on leaving. We're under attack in Boston, Atlanta, Miami, Washington, you name it."

"What the fuck?!" Martinez said, and he pulled his rifle out, "We've got incoming!"

I looked out of the window , and sure enough, choppers were flying in to the area, preparing to drop more soldiers.

"Copy Merrick. We'll make it to that chopper and get the hell out of here."

I turned towards the one who was in charge, "Who's the best soldier you have?"

"Sergeant Westbrook. He's down the hall, I'll get him for you."

I nodded, and not long after the man was back with Westbrook. The first guy looked at Frost and said "Do anything these two say! That goes for all of you." With that, he left.

Frost then went towards me.

"Sergeant Frost Westbrook. We're opcon to you, sir."

"Good. Now, we've got wounded and we have to get her out of here. We've got a chopper down the road from here, but it's going to be tough with all of the Europeans in our way. Once this courtyard is secure, we'll move to the chopper and head straight for Los Angeles. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

I was going to say something else, but I was interrupted by a chopper crashing into the window, killing one of the guys that had been in the room before.

"Everybody okay?" I said, standing back up, grabbing my rifle.

Martinez spoke up, "I'm good."

Frost nodded, and the others were fine as well. The doctor hadn't moved from his position at Riley's side.

I went over to the window, or lack there of, and saw that the Europeans were breaching the courtyard doors.

"We've got hostiles entering the courtyard. We have to hold them back!" I said, firing my rifle at the Europeans. Frost and the others did the same, while Martinez helped the doctor with whatever he needed.

We had soldiers down in the courtyard, but they were being taken down pretty fast. We were doing our best to keep them out of the courtyard and flooding our position, but the Europeans just kept coming. Soon enough, they fired into the massive hole in the wall, and nearly took my head off.

But they got the doctor.

"Doctor's down!" Martinez yelled, "I need help over here!"

I looked at Frost, "Help him!"

Frost walked over to help Martinez, just as one of the other guys in the room was taken down from the courtyard.

"We can't stay here. We've got to move now!" I said, turning towards the door.

"Martinez, you take Riley. Stay behind. The rest of you, on me. Let's go."

One European burst through the door, but I punched him twice before shooting him. Down the hallway, there was two more, but Frost and the others dealt with them.

We made it to the courtyard, and a few of our other soldiers were still there. Unfortunately, there were still lots of Europeans, and they were still coming.

"Clear the courtyard!"

I shot one guy, killing him. Then another one came around the corner, about to shoot me before I could react. But luckily, Frost had my back.

"Thanks for that." I said to him.

He nodded, firing at the other Europeans. Two of the soldiers that were with us before died before we could advance out of the courtyard, leaving just Frost, Martinez, and I.

...

It didn't matter though, because we had more soldiers coming in from down the road.

"Come on. The chopper is this way."

We encountered more Europeans as we moved towards where the chopper was, and they put up a pretty good fight. They must have been really pissed when we first encountered them. We had to cut through a back alley just to get close to where we needed to be, and I soon contacted Merrick again.

"Merrick, we're almost there, but there's tons of Europeans between us and the chopper. You got any ideas?"

Merrick responded, "Yeah. There's a UGV stashed in a basement in one of those houses nearby. That should help clear the way."

"Where is it?"

"To the right. Behind that gate."

I looked over, finding the gate that Merrick spoke about wide open. Frost and I went through, while Martinez stayed back with Riley.

"That's it. Right there." Merrick said to me. I kicked the door open, checking for Europeans. When I saw that there were none, Frost and I headed to the basement.

There was a large, wooden container that had to be storing the UGV. I found a crowbar nearby and pried the box open. Sure enough, the thing was in there.

"This will do nicely." I said, then I looked over towards Frost. "I'm gonna control this thing and clear us a path. You're gonna move with Martinez to the chopper. Can you fly?"

He shrugged, "Sure."

"Good. Now go stay with Martinez until I give you the signal." I walked over to the controls, hearing Frost go back upstairs. The console booted up, and soon the camera on the UGV was on.

"Alright," I said to myself, "Here we go."

I drove it out, seeing tons of Europeans in the road. The UGV had a mounted grenade launcher, so I fired that three times, taking out most of the enemies. More of them flooded in, and I dealt with them the best I could.

"Choppers coming in!" Frost said through the radio. I saw them, firing a ton of bullets towards them. One went down quickly, and soon the other one did too. I eventually found my way to where the chopper was at, finding Europeans moving towards it. I fired at them, trying my best to hold them back.

It took some time, but eventually the Europeans started falling back. I saw Martinez (with Riley) and Frost walking towards the chopper, and soon they were taking off.

Then Frost yelled into my radio, "RPG!"

Immediately after he said that, the camera went black on the UGV. Then Merrick came through.

"European drones are making missile strikes. Brad, haul ass to the chopper. Now!"

I ran out of the basement of the house immediately, and soon there were explosions sounding around me. I could see the chopper flying low above the river.

"Look out!"

There was an explosion right in front of me, and the scaffolding collapsed. I started falling with it almost immediately. As I slid down the hill, a house collapsed to my right, debris nearly hitting me.

Soon, the hillside ended, and I fell towards the river, the chopper flying by above me. I constantly went under and resurfaced, not being able to get good glimpses if the chopper was still there.

Eventually, I was able to grab hold of a log, and was able to pull myself out of the water.

I saw the chopper fly down towards me, and landed next to me. Martinez jumped out, and helped me on board.

...

I was relieved to see Riley was finally conscious.

"How you doing?" I said to her.

She sat up a tiny bit as we lifted off, "I feel like shit."

Martinez contacted Merrick, "Merrick. We made it out. We're on our way to Los Angeles."

"Copy that. Athena's waiting for you."

...

We were silent after that, nobody having the strength, or energy, to speak. Martinez dozed off after about twenty minutes, which was when Riley broke the silence.

"I can't believe it."

I looked over at her, "Believe what?"

"That we did it. We finally got her back."

I smiled, "I can't either. Nothing would be the same if you two hadn't gone into that mall."

Riley looked at me, "You're right about that."

I leaned my head back against the seat, "Drinks are on me when we get to LA."

She laughed, "I could use one right now."

"Amen to that."

...

With that, I dozed off.

* * *

**(Ellie)**

**4 hours later**

In the time Ellie had been in Los Angeles, she could barely go anywhere or do anything without having a guard with her. Sure, she was important and the Ghosts probably didn't want to take any chances, but she had a right to privacy. Five minutes would have sufficed for her.

But no, there had to be someone with her every time she went anywhere on the base. A base where she had no idea where anything or anybody was.

...

Specifically Brad and Riley. She hadn't seen them since they took off after Marlene back in Jackson, and the fact that they hadn't made it to LA yet bothered her.

Like, _really_ bothered her.

Her mind constantly mixed through possible outcomes, some involving Brad and Riley both dying and Marlene living, others a bit more extreme, like Brad and Riley thinking they killed Marlene, only for her to survive and take Riley away.

All of those outcomes kept playing over and over in her mind, but each one she would just push to the side. She couldn't assume that they were dead, it would only make things worse.

...

Her worrying would take a setback about four hours after she made it to Los Angeles. She found out that Brad and Riley had gone to Idaho Falls, but they made it out alright.

They would be coming in soon.

When Ellie heard the news, she ran outside towards where choppers had been landing and taking off practically all day. Before she arrived, the Ghosts had launched an assault on the Federal Quarantine Zone, taking it within hours. Most of the soldiers taking part in the main assault had come back when she got there.

She watched aimlessly as choppers continually landed and took off again, mostly dropping off wounded, or the occasional casualty. Ellie would eye each of them, seeing if anybody that was landing was Brad, or Riley, or Martinez. If Martinez was there, Brad and Riley were bound to be there as well.

After about ten minutes of waiting, a soldier approached her. It was one of the ones that got Ellie out of Jackson, Hesh was his name. His dog was with him.

The dog approached Ellie, sitting in front of her. Ellie put her hand out to pet him, smiling.

"I'm guessing you're waiting on Brad and the others?" Hesh asked her, putting his hands in his pockets.

She nodded, "Yeah. Mainly Riley. I hope she's okay."

"I'm guessing you two are close?"

She shrugged, "You could say that."

"Well, I can't say I hope she made it out alright. She's a good soldier, and she did her job well."

A chopper landed, and Hesh turned towards it, "This could be it. I have to go, see you around."

He walked away, the dog following behind.

...

Ellie's eyes went towards the chopper.

One person hopped out, and it made her stand up, and she started walking over.

...

Brad was the one that had exited, and Martinez did as well.

...

Brad and Martinez helped Riley out, Ellie noticing what looked like a bandage around her stomach.

Ellie's pace quickened.

...

Riley noticed her walking towards them, and tried to walk on her own towards Ellie.

...

Only to collapse down on her knees, her hand going to her stomach.

Ellie's stomach dropped, and she started running.

Brad picked Riley up, keeping one hand over her stomach. Ellie reached them quickly, only to have Martinez stop her.

"What the hell happened?" She said, trying to get a look at Riley. There was a poorly made bandage over her stomach, and her face paint had been nearly rinsed off. Only a few strands of black and white remained.

"I can walk," Riley struggled to say, "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Stop saying that." Brad said, then he looked up at Ellie, "I'll explain later, but we don't have time right now."

"Ellie," Riley said, her voice and weak.

Ellie looked at her face, and saw that Riley's eyes were closed.

She was dying.

"Shit, we're losing her. I need a medic, now!"

Some soldiers came out with a stretcher, and they ran over next to them. They took Riley and placed her down on the stretcher, carting her away.

Ellie went to follow them, but Brad stopped her.

"You can't follow them."

Ellie pulled away from his grasp, "What happened out there? Why did she look like that?"

"Calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down! She's dying, goddammit! Tell me what happened?!"

Brad was silent, and Ellie felt tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Is she going to be okay?"

Brad looked down, as if he was just thinking of an answer.

"I don't know. Maybe."

...

Ellie wanted to cry, but Brad placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Look. Settle down. My money's on she'll make it through."

Ellie wanted to believe him, to think that he was right.

...

But she didn't. From what she saw, whatever had happened to Riley looked serious.

If anything, it looked as if Riley was going to die.

And that would be heartbreaking for her.

Brad led Ellie away, "I'll explain everything."

And he did. He explained how he and Riley chased Marlene down the river, and shot down the chopper she was on. How they fell down the waterfall, and got separated. How Riley found Marlene in the wreckage, and attempted to kill her, only to get stabbed in the stomach.

"It was my fault," Brad said, "I should have gotten there sooner. If I did, she would be fine."

Martinez chimed in, "Hey. It wasn't your fault. If anything, this is all on Marlene."

Brad shook his head, then continued.

He told Ellie about how he fought Marlene, while Riley laid on the ground dying. He was knocked out when Riley killed her, so he had no idea how she did it.

"My guess is that she pulled the knife out of her stomach, and was able to throw it at Marlene. Whatever she did worked perfectly."

Martinez shook his head, "Jesus. That must have been painful."

"I can only imagine."

Ellie remained silent, trying to process what Brad told her.

...

Riley killed Marlene.

Weeks ago, if she had said that, Riley would have thought she was crazy.

Really, this whole thing was crazy.

After all of the praise, and hope, and even after she had joined the Fireflies, Riley was the one who took down their leader.

Ellie thought it was funny, how much everything had changed over these last few weeks. Ever since they met Brad.

...

She didn't realize that Brad was talking again until he shook her shoulder.

"What is it?"

"Are you alright? You zoned out."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Keep going."

Brad told her about Idaho Falls, and how the Europeans had come back. They barely made it out of there alive, and the city was practically destroyed.

"Riley hardly made it."

"Seems like it."

"How do you feel about all of this?"

Ellie looked at him, and shrugged, "I just hope she's okay."

Brad looked down, "We all do."

...

They sat there for about two hours, only short snippets of conversation occasionally occurring during the time. They were soon approached by a doctor, who went up to Brad.

"I'm guessing you're Patriot 1-1?"

Brad stood up, and nodded, "Yeah. That's me. Is this about Riley?"

The doctor nodded, "Yes. Specialist Abel suffered a really large and deep stab wound, and the bandaging that was already on her did very little to help, but it did enough to get her here for proper treatment. She'll be fine."

Ellie sighed, "That's a relief."

"No kidding. Can we see her?"

The doctor nodded, "Yes. Just follow me."

The doctor led them to a room, the blinds covering the windows and the door shut. Martinez broke away from the party to help out some soldiers moving wounded.

"She's in here." The doctor said.

"Thank you." Brad said, and Ellie headed straight for the door, but Brad held her back.

"Let me check on her first. Just to be sure."

Ellie wanted to shove him off of her and run into the room, but she decided against it.

Brad opened the door, shutting it behind him. Ellie leaned against the wall across from the wall, just wondering what was going on behind it.

If Brad or Riley was talking, she couldn't hear it. She didn't even know if Riley was awake or not.

...

Sooner than she had thought he would, Brad appeared from the doorway. He motioned his head or Ellie to enter, and she did without hesitation.

When her eyes first fell on Riley's figure, Ellie was _this_ close to crying once again.

...

Riley was asleep, most of her body covered in white blankets. Most of her equipment had been removed from her body, replaced by a blue hospital outfit.

"Riley?" Ellie said as she walked over towards her side. Riley didn't move, excluding the rise and fall of her chest from breathing.

When Riley didn't respond, Ellie called out again, "Riley?"

...

No response again.

"Riley, please wake up."

Riley was motionless.

Ellie sighed, then went to wrap her arms around Riley as tight as she could, pulling her into her chest. Ellie's sobs made her shake lightly, but she couldn't help it. She didn't even know why she was crying.

...

"I'm sorry." She said, resting her face against Riley's shoulder.

She didn't know why she was apologizing, or who she was apologizing to.

All Ellie did know was that this is not what she wanted. She didn't want any of this.

She didn't want anybody to have died over her.

The Fireflies and Ghosts that died in Salt Lake City. The people in Idaho Falls.

Nobody had to die.

And Riley was nearly one of them, one of the dead. To everybody else, she would have just been another number.

The number of people who fell in battle over the last twenty years.

Her death would have been meaningless to the rest of the world.

...

Ellie didn't expect to hear Riley's voice fill her ears.

"You're squeezing me too hard."

Ellie's eyes widened, and she pulled back to look at Riley's face, a smile across her features.

"I was just getting comfy, you asshole."

Ellie couldn't help but smile back.

"Sucks to be you."

Riley pushed a loose strand of Ellie's hair out of her face, "Did Brad tell you what happened?"

Ellie pulled back, "Everything, yeah."

Riley frowned, "And you're okay with it?"

"With what?"

"Marlene."

...

After everything that had happened, Ellie had completely forgotten about Marlene.

About how Riley had killed her.

"Oh." Ellie rubbed the back of her neck, "Yeah."

Ellie was pretty indifferent about what Riley did. Yes, she was a Ghost now, and that was basically their goal the whole time.

But then again, Marlene still was practically Ellie's guardian. She had protected Ellie to the best of her abilities ever since she was born.

Yet, Ellie's personal feelings about Marlene wouldn't have mattered to the Ghosts. She was still a threat, whether alive or not.

Even though she was gone, her message would still be there.

Ellie only shook her head.

"I don't know."

Just after she said that, Brad walked into the room.

"You're finally awake," he said, walking over to them, "How you doing?"

"A lot better than I did earlier."

Brad smiled, "Well, you're gonna feel even better. Word just came in. The Ghosts in Washington have taken the Federal quarantine zone, meaning that the Feds across the country are standing down."

Ellie's mind suddenly went back to the Fireflies.

"What about the Fireflies?"

"They've been dealt with."

"Well that's good news."

"I'm not finished. I also found out that the doctors have figured out a way to make a cure. I don't have all of the details, but it's doable."

"So we did it?"

Brad nodded, "We did it."

* * *

**(Brad)**

**That night**

The night couldn't have been better. Clear sky and full moon. If anything was perfect, it was then.

There were only four of us: Riley, Ellie, Martinez, and myself. We were on the roof of the apartment complex where soldiers stayed. We were all sitting around a fire, and Martinez managed to "find" a case of beer.

We were just sitting there, talking, laughing, and reflecting on everything that had happened over these last few months.

"Man," I said, lying back, "It feels nice to finally have a break."

"What do you mean?" Ellie asked. She was seated next to Riley, Martinez to their left, and myself across from them.

"Command's putting us on leave for the next few weeks," Martinez said, "It's about time we got a break. How long has it been?"

"Jesus, who knows. Seems like we never got one at all."

Martinez smiled, "Well, better late than never. Finally a few days we can sit back and relax."

Riley took a sip of her drink, "Don't let it get to you. Once it's over, we'll probably be working our asses off."

"Don't be a buzzkill."

"I'm not being a buzzkill!"

I sat up, "Whatever. I'm just glad we don't have to deal with anymore of this shit. Soon, things will finally be normal again. Yeah, it'll take awhile, but we'll get there one day."

"Hopefully sooner than later." Martinez said, "I want to go back to Boston soon, see if things are alright. Maybe check in on Baker over in New York."

I looked over at Riley and Ellie, "What about you two? How do guys you feel about this?"

Ellie shrugged, "Well, considering you nearly got Riley killed..."

"Hey! That was Brad. I was not involved."

"Fuck you! It's not my fault!"

Ellie and Riley laughed, "Chill, I was just kidding. I'm the doctors' guinea pig, so all this sucks."

Riley nudged her shoulder, "Lucky you, getting all of the attention."

"What? You jealous?"

Martinez spoke up, "Should be. You got the attention of everybody, even the Fireflies."

"Oh, and you didn't?"

"She's got a point." I said, "We pissed them off on more than one account. It kind of was our job."

"At least we didn't give away their hideout to an awesome, badass group of soldiers. Not that I'm complaining."

Ellie shrugged, and we lapsed into silence.

I broke the silence, "Can you believe it though? Finally, after so long, everything's actually going to be okay."

Martinez leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, "Honestly no. It feels like a dream come true."

"It really does." Riley said.

"Did the Fireflies put that in your head or did we?" I asked, jokingly.

Ellie was not amused, however. Riley wasn't either.

"How did you know?" Ellie asked, her voice low.

I looked over at Riley, and she looked angry.

"We found out back in Salt Lake City. Did she not tell you?"

"No," she said, shooting a look at Riley, "And you didn't do anything about it?"

I shook my head, "No. It doesn't matter. Riley's not one of them anymore, and we're still here."

"There really was no point in turning her in for treason." Martinez said, his smile having faded in the conversation.

"So you're not going to do anything to her?"

"No. Why would we?"

Ellie thought about this, then spoke, "I don't know. I guess I was overreacting."

I smiled, "Just a little bit. You don't have to worry about us doing anything to Riley."

Ellie nodded.

We were silent for a little again, but I broke the silence again.

"One more thing I want to say."

I took my bottle and raised it above my head, "I want to give a toast, to us, and what we accomplished."

Martinez raised his as well, "And to the ones who led us to this point."

Riley followed along, "And to the ones that were with us, every step of the way."

Ellie finally complied, "And to those who were lost along the way."

Our bottles all clinked together, and that was that.

...

This is how things were supposed to be.

No fighting. No infected.

Just friends enjoying each others company.

...

I couldn't have been more glad to be alive at that point.

* * *

**(Riley)**

Brad and Martinez retired a few minutes ago, leaving Ellie and I alone. The fire was dying down, but it was lit up enough for us to see each other.

Ellie ran her hand over her face, "That stuff Martinez found was awful. It tasted like shit."

I laughed, "Funny you say that when you took the last one."

"I didn't want it to go to waste."

"Sure you did."

She shoved my shoulder, "Fuck off."

We were silent for a while, before Ellie spoke.

"Why didn't you tell me that they found out?"

"Found out what?"

"The fact that you were a Firefly."

I shrugged, "Like they said, it didn't really matter."

"Of course it mattered, Riley." Ellie said, looking me right in the eye, "They could have hurt you, maybe killed you."

"Ellie, they would never do anything to hurt me. Sure, Brad tried, but he-"

I shouldn't have said that, because Ellie raised her eyebrow at me.

"What? He got pissed off after they found out, but no biggie."

Ellie didn't respond, only shaking her head, "You should have told me sooner."

I frowned, "I know."

We were silent for a while, but then she started laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"Everything. This whole stupid situation."

I looked at her, "What do you mean?"

"Just think about it. All of the crazy stuff that has gone down the past few weeks, after how everything was so dumb and pointless, look at where we are now. The Ghosts won, and we finally got to go to LA."

I smiled, "You're right about that."

"All of this shit is just crazy, and it's funny."

I laughed, wrapping my arm around her shoulders, pulling her into my side, "Yeah, it really is."

...

She rested her head on my shoulder.

"I'm really glad you're not dead."

"Same."

...

We didn't say anything else, just staring into the flames.

I couldn't have wanted it any differently.

* * *

**Well, you have finally reached the end.**

**Operation: Immunity is now over.**

**We had some high points and some low points, but we pulled through.**

**I know the last chapter wasn't the longest, or the most detailed, but it brought closure to the story, and that's what matters.**

**...**

**I just want to thank every person that has taken time out of their lives to read my story. I would never have put some much time into this if it wasn't for all of you. You know who you are, and you know I appreciate you.**

**Now, this story may be over, but the series is not. Yes, I have a sequel coming. Although it might be awhile, it is coming.**

**...**

**Thank you again. I couldn't ask for any better.**

**See you again in the sequel.**

**-Broncozfan623**


	17. Soundtrack

**Operation: Immunity Official Soundtrack  
**Created by: Broncozfan623

_Call of Duty: Ghosts Main Theme by David Buckley_

_Day of the Dead by Hollywood Undead_

_Machines by Crown the Empire_

_Castle of Glass by Linkin Park_

_Skeletons by The Amity Affliction_

_What Lies Beneath by Breaking Benjamin_

_Down with the Fallen by Starset_

_Same Old Story by From Ashes to New_

_Extraction Point(from MW2) by Hans Zimmer_

_Untraveled Road by Thousand Foot Krutch_

_Nightmare by Avenged Sevenfold_

_You Want A Battle?(Here's A War) by Bullet For My Valentine_

_You Only Die Once by From Ashes to New_

_Vengeance by Jack Wall_

_The Light by Disturbed_

_Scars by I Prevail_

_Weight of the World by Crown the Empire_

_Until The End by Breaking Benjamin_

_Wrong Side of Heaven by Five Finger Death Punch_

_Missile by Dorothy_

_MW3 End Credits by Brian Tyler_


	18. Sequel Reveal

_"We've got unidentified drones in the air,"_

_"Unknown, you are entering restricted airspace. Advise you,"_

_"The President is addressing Congress as we speak about the attacks,"_

_"Command, we've shots fired inside the Capitol Building,"_

_"All available assets, we have multiple confirmed threats in Manhattan,"_

_"We've got fighter jets flying all over Los Angeles! What the he-,"_

_"Breaking News: America is under attack,"_

_"Confirm. Enemy forces moving into downtown Seattle,"_

_"American military forces are mobilizing, but it may already be too late,"_

_"WE GOT A BOMB IN THE PENTA-,"_

_"President is dead. Repeat, President is confirmed K.I.A."_

_"The Russian Federation has claimed responsibility for the attacks,"_

_"The E.U. met today to discuss a response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and United States,"_

_"France announced today that they will not take military action, joining Germany and Japan"_

_"__Американцы были рак мира со времен холодной войны, но не более. Новая эра начинается. Для Родины! Для России-матушки!"_

* * *

Nobody saw it coming, and I do mean nobody.

...

A superpower, invading a country that was just getting back onto it's feet.

...

Ludicrous, to the rest of the world.

...

They invaded when we all had our backs turned, trying to get our country back up and running.

...

Within an hour, the president was dead.

...

Within weeks, the country was under their control.

...

Nobody was coming to help us.

...

All hope was lost at that point.

...

But not for us.

* * *

The trucks continued to flow into the complex, one by one. Guards stood down by the gate, as well as up in the guard towers. Spotlights flooded the surrounding areas.

...

_We fought back._

_..._

Out of nowhere, one of the trucks exploded into an inferno, the carcass flipping and landing on a nearby car.

The guards at the front all landed on the ground, dead.

Two heavily armored vehicles drove towards the complex, both outfitted with heavy machine guns. They fired at any soldiers in the nearby area, as well as ,once they were inside, getting out of the trucks.

...

_We fought with a ferocity that nobody had ever seen._

...

Four soldiers poured out of both trucks, armed with silenced rifles. As more enemies ran out to respond, they dropped dead.

The soldiers moved inside the largest building in the complex, taking out anybody they saw, reaching their destination quickly. They breached the door, killing the armed men, but leaving one. The one in charge.

...

_We only had one cause. One purpose._

...

The main soldier moved towards him, punching him once, then five more times when he was on the ground.

...

_Take our country back, no matter the cost._

...

He pulled a large, shiny magnum out, put the barrel to his temple, and fired.

* * *

**Operation: Liberty**

**Coming February, 2017**


End file.
